Today is World Bee Day, a day to celebrate bees and other pollinators that provide much of the world’s food supply. According to www.worldbeeday.org, every third spoonful of food depends on pollination.
Bees are the most efficient pollinators, kindly providing products like honey that are a rich source of indispensable nutrients. They also support sustainable farming and provide millions of jobs for people by increasing the amount of agricultural produce, as well as the diversity of our crops. And, as if feeding humans and supporting our global agriculture infrastructure wasn’t enough of a reason to revere these creatures, bees significantly contribute to the mitigation of climate change and environmental conservation.
“In the long-term, the protection of bees and the beekeeping sector can help reduce poverty and hunger, as well as preserve a healthy environment and biodiversity. Scientific studies have proven that bees have become increasingly endangered. It is only through joint efforts that we can ensure the protection of bees and their habitats,” states the mission of World Bee Day.
World Bee Day is the result of years of efforts by the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association, which launched the initiative and got the United Nations to declare 20 May World Bee Day. On December 20, 2017, the Slovenian initiative was unanimously adopted and May 20 was designated World Bee Day.
But why is Slovenia leading this worldwide effort to increase awareness of bees and other pollinators?
As it turns out, Slovenia is a nation of beekeepers, focusing on environmental protection and the future of the planet. As a nation, Slovenians are a genuine beekeepers – one in 200 inhabitants has a hive. Slovenia was also the first European Union Member State to introduce legal protection of bees, and one of the first EU countries to prohibit the use of certain pesticides harmful to bees in its territory, in 2011. As a result, beekeeping in Slovenia has gained international recognition for the country’s expertise, and for its particular features, such as its unique painted beehive panels and traditional beehive architecture.
The Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia was also established in 2018 to increase knowledge of beekeeping both internationally and in developing countries. The Carniolan honeybee (Apis mellifera carnica) is
regarded as the second most widespread variety in the world and is protected as an indigenous
subspecies in Slovenia.
And why May 20?
According to World Bee Day, May was chosen because in the northern hemisphere, May is a month of rapid development among bees and all other plant life, while the southern hemisphere enters
autumn, when hive products are harvested and the season of honey and honey-based products begins.
In addition, 20 May is the birth date of Anton Janša (1734–1773), a Slovenian beekeeper, the pioneer of modern beekeeping, and one of the greatest authorities on the subject of bees of his time.
So what can you do to celebrate bees today? According to World Bee Day, every individual can contribute to the preservation of bees and other pollinators:
- Plant nectar-bearing flowers for decorative purposes on balconies, terraces, and gardens.
- Buy honey and other hive products from your nearest local beekeeper.
- Raise awareness among children and adolescents on the importance of bees and express your support for beekeepers.
- Set up a pollinator farm on your balcony, terrace, or garden; you can either make it yourself or buy at any home furnishings store.
- Preserve old meadows – which feature a more diverse array of flowers – and sow nectar-bearing plants.
- Cut grass on meadows only after the nectar-bearing plants have finished blooming.
- Offer suitable farming locations for the temporary or permanent settlement of bees so that they have suitable pasture; as a consequence, they will pollinate our plants, which will thereby bear more fruit.
- Use pesticides that do not harm bees, and spray them in windless weather, either early in the morning or late at night, when bees withdraw from blossoms.
- Mulch blooming plants in orchards and vineyards before spraying them with pesticides so that they do not attract bees after being sprayed.
And there’s one more thing you can do that’s really fun: download the Bees Count app and add your photos and observations to the global map launched today in honor World Bee Day.
