The Honey Bee – An Important Part of Florida Agriculture

Honey bees are the creator’s of man’s first sweetener. Primitive beekeepers were actually hunters, raiding beehives for honey. Honey was prized because of its unique taste and unusual sweetness. Today, this important Florida product has an annual worth of $15 to $20 million. Florida’s climate and abundant flowering plants make it a perfect place to keep honey bees, and the beekeeping industry has tremendously grown. Florida is consistently ranked among the nation’s leaders in honey production, with approximately 17 million pounds of honey produced each year. Orange, tupelo, gallberry and palmetto honeys are just a few of the special varieties.

Florida Honey Bee Industry Facts

• Crops pollinated by honey bees have a $3.3 million economic impact in Florida, and produce $192 million in tax revenues.
• For every dollar of honey produced in Florida, approximately $150 is generated in honey bee pollination services.
• Without honey bee pollination, the food we eat could decrease by a third.
• FDACS established an apiary (honey bee) inspection program within DPI in 1923.
• Florida has about 1,000 registered beekeepers and 200,000 managed colonies.

 DPI State Apiary Inspectors…

• Advise Florida beekeepers on the identification and treatment of honey bee pests
• Certify honey bees for shipment to other states for honey production and pollination
• Maintain 500 bait traps around the state and monitor Florida ports, the interstate highway system and other vulnerable areas to identify unusual activity that might indicate the introduction or spread of unwanted honey bee species, like the Africanized honey bee
• Provide education and outreach to the apiary industry and public.

 The Gainesville Sun published an interesting article on GatorSports.com about beekeeping and Colony Collapse Disorder. Check out the article online.

Disney’s “Pollen” premieres in France

As Florida’s regulatory agency for the apiary industry, DPI protects honey bees and their role as a major pollinator in Florida. Bees are just one of the many insects and animals that help pollinate plants around the world, including those used for agricultural purposes.

Dinseynature, the same film label that produced earth, OCEANS and the soon-to-be released African Cats  recently released the film Pollen in France.  The U.S. version of the film will be released under the name Wings of Life. The film examines the delicate relationship between the animal and plant worlds, including the role humans play in the balance of that relationship.

You can view the Pollen trailer posted from YouTube below. It is in French, but the video shows what the film is about.

Bee Aware!

When it comes to saving bees in Florida, FDACS/DPI has a unique plan of action. Consumers who call the Division of Plant Industry Helpline with concerns of a bee swarm or infestation are often shocked when the helpline operator tells them that eradication is the best option. Callers want to know why an agency that protects Florida’s apiary industry would remotely suggest eradicating bees. Well, there is a method to the perceived madness.

The Division of Plant Industry supports managed bee hives. We know that without properly managed bee colonies, agricultural productivity would suffer. Further, without managed bee hives, Africanized honey bees could easily move into areas without managed colonies. The Africanized honey bee is not only dangerous to the apiary industry, but also Floridians who might come in contact with the insect. Though the Africanized honey bee is established in Florida, through education, trapping programs, and the help of managed European honey bee colonies, we can attempt to keep Africanized honey bee populations low.

What’s the difference between European and Africanized honey bees?

European honey bees (left) and Africanized honey bees (right) can be difficult to distinguish.

Honey bees brought to the U.S. in the 1600s by European settlers soon became one of the most economically beneficial insects, and their gentle nature made them easy to manage. In the 1950s, African honey bees (AHB) were imported to breed with European honey bees (EHB) in order to produce a honey bee better suited to tropical conditions. Researchers expected that when African honey bees were bred with European honey bees, the African bees would lose their defensive nature. However, this was not the case, and since the 1950s, Africanized honey bees have become established in the southeastern region of the United States. It is very difficult to distinguish Africanized honey bees from European honey bees, and the species can only be verified through USDA identification testing.  AHB are more defensive, and defend their nests with less provocation, in greater numbers and for longer distances. AHB swarm as many as 16 times per year. EHB only swarm once or twice per year. (Swarming is a reproductive behavior that occurs when bees are looking for a new nest site.) AHB are not selective of nesting sites and will quickly inhabit empty spaces, holes or cavities. EHB are more selective and prefer drier sites three to four feet above ground.

Protect Yourself from Stinging Insects

Always survey your surroundings, especially when outdoors, for stinging insects. It is easy to understand wanting to swat at a stinging insect, but it is important not to provoke Africanized honey bees. Bees release an “alarm pheromone” after they sting, which signals other to come and attack. For AHB, this could mean the entire hive. Follow these guidelines to protect yourself:

• Have a plan and communicate it with your family for avoiding/responding to stinging insects.
• In case of an allergic reaction, have a bee sting kit available.
• Eliminate potential nesting sites. Check walls and eaves of structures. Plug holes.
• Remain alert for bees. Look for bees in work areas before using power equipment such as weed eaters, lawn mowers and chain saws. Noise excites bees.
• If bees begin to chase you, run away in a straight line, cover your face (particularly your nose and mouth) and get inside a building or vehicle. Even if a few bees get in with you, it is better than remaining outside where there is greater potential for larger numbers of bees and stings.
• Contact a licensed pest control operator to remove the nest.
• Remove the stinger by scraping it with a fingernail or credit card. Squeezing the stinger will release more venom.
• See a doctor if breathing is difficult, if you are stung several times, or you are allergic to bee stings.

Be aware of your environment and stay safe. Call 888-397-1517 for more information, or print out this brochure or reference.

Bee Aware of where bee hives could be located in your surroundings.