Bees are fascinating and remarkable creatures with a bad reputation. While we all depend on bees for the many services they provide, their ability to occasionally sting humans has given them a reputation as an unwanted pest. In fact, bees pollinate 80 percent of the food consumed by humans. Bees also are responsible for pollinating crops such as alfalfa and clover that are fed to dairy cows and other livestock. In addition to honey, bees produce wax and other useful products.
Bees are intelligent and social.
They communicate through dance, and work together to care for the hive and future generations of bees. Bees can gather the pollen and nectar they need from as far away as a mile from the hive. They also are fun to watch and will ensure a great fruit or flower season for you and your neighbors. One of the reasons these more aggressive bees are moving in is because populations of European honeybees have decreased in the past few years. Two types of parasitic bee killing mites are causing a reduction in the numbers of free roaming bees and beehives.