The importance of bees as the pollinators of our food crops is well known by now, but they also support the growth of trees and plants which serve as food and shelter for creatures great and small. Simply put, bees are a vital part of our ecosystem.
Bees are disappearing at an alarming rate, mainly due to the impact of pesticides. A Harvard study found a direct link between pesticides and Colony Collapse Disorder, which is almost like a form of bee Alzheimers. Large amounts of worker bees leave the nest and do not know how to return – thus dying and leaving their hives unmanned and vulnerable.
There is no denying that humans are terrible for bees and yet it is a fact that we cannot survive without them. So we decided to do our bit to help:
Honeybee Heroes is a sanctuary and education centre in the heart of the Overberg. We recently attended one of their educational Saturdays, learning about keeping bees in a sustainable way with the welfare of the bees taking priority. We also tasted a range of amazing honeys: Lucern, lavender, canola, fynbos and eucalyptus – all delicious!
The beekeeping experience was so inspiring that I have fulfilled a long-time dream of having a hive in my garden! Dylan le Roux an enthusiastic young beekeeper, who attended the day with me, is a dedicated carer of bees and will safely remove and relocate a traveling swarm. He also kindly assisted me in getting my own hive. I will be planting loads of our wonderful heirloom Sandveld seeds to feed the bees and people alike.
Should you not be able to keep your own hive you can adopt a hive through the Honeybee Heroes.
Interesting facts about bees:
- They prefer violet flowers above blue, white and yellow.
- They find plants to visit by their scent, as they need to be 60cm or closer to actually see a flower.
- They travel between 2 to 4 km to get food. Can you imagine what a great distance this is for a tiny little bee?!
- They use the electrical field of flowers to know if the flower has already been harvested by another bee.
Visit the Honeybee Heroes website and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
For swarm removal and relocation, contact Dylan le Roux: 074 2166 560
Stunning photos of our Beekeeping Experience by the Honeybee Heroes team:
On the right - my brother and I, enjoying the sensational surrounds and the very interesting learning!
Looks like a scene from a sci-fi movie! On our way to some live hives...
