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The Critical Need To Protect Our Bee Population

Many crops grown for their fruit, seeds, nuts and fiber require pollination from bees.
Wikimedia Commons, available for use
Many crops grown for their fruit, seeds, nuts and fiber require pollination from bees.
Many crops grown for their fruit, seeds, nuts and fiber require pollination from bees.
Credit Wikimedia Commons, available for use
Many crops grown for their fruit, seeds, nuts and fiber require pollination from bees.

People may associate bees with honey for their tea and home remedies, but bees are also responsible for about one out of every three bites of food we eat. 

Many crops grown for their fruit, seeds, nuts and fiber require pollination from bees. Last month, seven species of yellow-faced bees, native to Hawaii, were deemed endangered by The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. And in September, millions of honeybees were killed in South Carolina after being sprayed with an insecticide used to kill Zika-carrying mosquitoes. Most scientists agree,the global bee population is in danger, and its loss would be devastating.

Here to discuss bees, beekeeping and efforts to protect and preserve the bee population are owner of TwoHoneys Bee Co., Liz Tilton; one of the founders of Pollen Nation, a group of beekeepers at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Melanie Evans; and Co-Founder and Beekeeper at Queen City Bee Co., Carlier Smyth.

The  Cincinnati Zoo will hold its annual Native Plant Symposium this Saturday, November 12, from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. For information and tickets, click here

Copyright 2021 91.7 WVXU. To see more, visit 91.7 WVXU.

Mark Heyne hosts Cincinnati Edition Monday through Friday at 1:00 pm.
In 2005, Maryanne Zeleznik came to 91.7 WVXU from WNKU where she served as News and Public Affairs Director for 20 years. At WVXU she is responsible for all news and public affairs programming, hosts Morning Edition Monday through Friday, fills in to host Cincinnati Edition when Michael Monks is off. As time allows she covers daily news, produces local features, and contributes news stories to National Public Radio.