 the buzz about bees by lyn hayes forsyth county master gardener townloafer magazine march 2008 the honeybee population is declining at an alarming rate as a master gardener i receive many emails regarding informational workshops seminars and classes on a large variety of topics offered throughout the area lately i have received many emails on the topic of bees and beekeeping this inspired me to find out more on this subject for instance did you know that honeybees can fly up to two miles for nectar and pollen did you also know that there is only one queen bee in a hive of up to 70000 and she can lay up to 2000 eggs a day these are all very interesting facts but do you realize how vital the honeybee is to our agricultural crops and that there has been a major decrease in their population according to a study done by cornell university the estimated value of the honeybee pollination to us agriculture is more than 14 billion annually it is interesting to note that one out of every three mouthfuls of food you eat is a direct result of bee pollination a lengthy list of foods cannot grow without the assistance of honeybees carrots onions cucumbers broccoli pumpkins squash apples blueberries avocados almonds and cherries the 20062007 total production value of almonds exceeded 2 billion each and every almond depends on honeybees for pollination in georgia there has always been a strong emphasis on bees and beekeeping from the north georgia apple crop to the southern georgia squash watermelon and cantaloupe crops much of our state s agricultural industry depends on the honeybee accordingly farmers pay close attention to the bee population since 2006 there has been serious concern about our bee colonies it s estimated that 40 to 50 percent of commercially kept hives are being lost each year the seemingly healthy bees are simply abandoning the hives the name the researchers have given this mass disappearance is colony collapse disorder ccd it is unclear why bees are abandoning their hives however many scientists believe it is a combination of several factors it is speculated that something may be making the bees sick included in this theory is exposure to pesticides an inadequate food supply and a new virus that targets a bees immune system currently research continues into exactly what is causing the bees distress in the meantime additional beekeepers are needed and there are simple ways each of us can aid our ailing bee population bee proactive plant a landscape to encourage bees to visit because there are at least 16 different types of bees a variety of plants is recommended plant flowers of various colors that vary in shape plant a landscape that blooms throughout the year this provides a yearround food supply for the bees native plants will thrive in our georgia climate have a better chance of survival and provide pollen and nectar for the bees to eat bee aware of pesticides there are so many options now for organic pest control since a majority of scientists believe that chemical pesticides are a major contributor to ccd we should use organic methods whenever possible if you must use a targeted pesticide apply it at night when the bees are dormant bee excited about pollen pollen is bee food recently developed genetically engineered organisms gmos include plants that don t produce pollen bees essential source of nutrition such plants don t occur naturally in nature and trick bees into thinking they ll find food but leave them hungry avoid gmo plants and plant true flowers did you know that flower pollen is not a major contributor to most of the allergies people suffer from  bee a beekeeper this is a very fascinating hobby and certainly helpful to our environment by starting your own hive you can enjoy the benefits from the honey that it will produce honey is a pure food source containing large amounts of vitamin a b and c the valuable nutrients that are contained in honey are excellent for the digestive system the list of the benefits of honey is long research beekeeping thoroughly and learn as much as you can before embarking on such a project classes are offered and clubs are available throughout the area the local chapter of forsyth county beekeepers meets at orwell middle school at 630 pm on the fourth thursday of every month bee helpful and bee careful  