Whenever I talk to children about honeybees, I start by asking about their favorite foods. Hands shoot up in the air and many answers include strawberries, watermelon and other delicious fruits.
Then I show them a poster that includes those fruits, but also pumpkins and almonds.
“How are these foods alike?” I ask.
Few know the answer, which makes their ears perk up and the questions pop out: “They all need bees.”
It’s a good way to open the discussion about pollinators and the important place they have in our food system. Without honeybees and other pollinators, we would only have about one-third of the food choices we currently consume. Children learn that honeybees aren’t the only pollinators on our planet, just the ones that are most fun and produce delicious, sweet honey.
It’s been fun giving presentations about one of my favorite hobbies. I haven’t found many people who aren’t interested in these fascinating creatures and don’t want to touch a new wax comb or taste honey lemonade. They enjoy looking into a box of frames, smelling the puff of air from my smoker and trying on white beekeeping suits and head-veils.
Here are photos from a recent display a few bee friends and I set up at the Ames Public Library. The event attracted nearly 2,000 parents and their preschoolers, all in the interest of early childhood literacy. It was great fun and I’m looking forward to next year!
Bee Lady Honey 