Honeybee collecting nectar from white clover.
Albert Einstein said: “If the bee disappeared from the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.” Nikki Walker, secretary for the Columbus County Beekeepers Association, elaborates on pollinators and her organization.
"More than 80% of flowering plants need a pollinator to reproduce, and since flowering plants are the basis for our food sources, they make sure we have food to eat. But bees in particular offer us even more, if you can imagine. I was doing research into home remedies for my young son, to help build up his lungs, and learned that local honey is one of the best things you can do for your health. I gained such an appreciation that I bought some hives of my own and got hooked.
Nikki Walker inspecting one of her hives.
"The bees are constantly teaching you something. First, they teach you patience and to slow down. When you go into a hive you can’t be in a hurry; if you go in too fast, they will let you know right away. It’s meditative, and very sensory, with the smell and the sound of the bees. And each hive has its own personality. Understanding individual hives is like putting together pieces of nature’s puzzle. The hive mind is an amazing thing; if humans worked together like they do, the world would be a better place. "
Things we can all do to keep bees and all pollinators thriving include keeping our landscaping as natural as possible. If you must spray pesticides, do it in the late afternoon or early morning when the bees are in the hive, not during the day when they are foraging. And when thinking about herbicides, consider that dandelions and wildflowers are pollinators’ first food in the spring. Planting native plants that are food for pollinators is also a great way to help them.
"Our outreach activities supported by BEMC’s grants include a pollinator garden at Columbus Regional Healthcare System. We worked with a physician treating children with life-threatening illnesses to develop a healing garden for the children and their families. We also worked with Bess Henson Taylor to create a mural as part of her Whiteville Butterfly Mural Trail. It’s on Madison Street, and is so colorful and beautiful, but also educational, because it shows the stages of the honeybee’s life, and includes several plants that are beneficial to bees. We just want to spread the word about these amazing creatures and try to help them the way they help us!"
