Did you know that 90% of wild plants and 75% of global crops rely on a bees pollination? Bees are nature’s architects; their hives are created with precision and determination. Unfortunately, bees and other pollinators are under threat from pesticides and the removal of unwanted bees. Here at Port Farms, bees are all around enjoying the 3 acres of wildflowers planted each summer. Although bees may be a pest to some, they are an integral part of the pollination process helping contribute to food security.
Beehives
According to the FDA, bees are one of the hardest agricultural working forces in the U.S. A beehive maintains a temperature of around 95°F which is crucial for bee development. Surprisingly, bees communicate through elaborate dances and vibrations that allow them to notify other bees of their location for food sources with remarkable accuracy. Each hive has a unique scent, allowing bees to distinguish between friends and enemies. Contrary to popular belief, only female bees, worker bees and the queen perform all the tasks within the hive, while male bees, or drones, solely focus on mating. At Port Farms, one of our popular attractions is the Bee Bungalow with local bees that are brought in to safely observe. This attraction has interactive facts and information to learn more about the pollination process and the bees importance.
How Can We Help Protect Pollinators?
Flowers and bees share a mutually beneficial relationship crucial for their survival. Bees rely on flowers as a primary food source, collecting nectar and pollen for their own sustenance and to feed their larvae. In return, bees facilitate pollination, transferring pollen between flowers as they forage. This process is vital for the reproduction of many plant species, ensuring genetic diversity and the production of fruits and seeds. At Port Farms, we plant 3 Acres of Zinnias, Cosmos and Sunflowers allowing the bees to pollinate and the flowers to bloom big and bright. During our Summer Days Season (August to early September), you are able to come pick these flowers and bring them home. A Mason Jar is included with your Summer Days farm admission to take home a beautiful bouquet. Although you can pick flowers beginning in August, the prime picking time is during our Flower Festival at the end of August into early September.
The diversity of flower shapes, colors, and scents not only attracts bees but also provides them with a varied diet, ensuring they receive essential nutrients. Additionally, flowers bloom at different times of the year, providing a continuous supply of food for bees throughout the seasons.
By supporting bee populations, flowers contribute to ecosystem health and biodiversity. They play a crucial role in sustaining not only bee populations but also the entire web of life that depends on pollination for survival. Because of this, the relationship between flowers and bees is fundamental to the thriving of both species.
Planting flowers is a great way to support pollinators. But, another way we can help protect bees is to lessen the use of pesticides which are incredibly harmful to plants, insects and animals.
Bees are so important they even have their own day celebrated on May 20th (World Bee Day). The purpose of the international day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem. So next time you visit the farm and see bees enjoying the flowers, just remember they are there doing a job and shouldn’t bother you if you don’t bother them! Learn more about our Summer Days and festival seasons at the farm.
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