Today belongs to the bees! Saturday, August 17 is National Honey Bee Day.

The event was started in 2009 by U.S. beekeepers to promote and educate the public about the bee industry. The first proclamation was signed by an Iowan, Thomas Vilsack, who happened to be director of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

And boy! We have a lot to celebrate!

The big thing with bees is not just the 163 million pounds of honey produced each year in the United States. Bees also pollinate a large variety of plants, including about 400 agricultural crops. One out of every three bites of food requires pollination. Economists estimate the value of honey bee pollination services at more than $15 billion in the United States alone.

Here are a few honey bee facts to share:

• On average, bees fly 13-15 miles per hour and their wings beat 180 times per second.
• Honey bees visit about 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey.
• Bees do not sleep, instead they rest in empty cells in the beehive.
• During honey-gathering season, there are about 40,000-60,000 bees in a hive.
• To produce 2 pounds of honey, bees travel a distance equal to four times around the earth.

Impressive, right? Then go out and celebrate! Plant some flowers, enjoy honey on your toast, or kiss a beekeeper!

Here’s a cute video to help, featuring the bee waggle dance. If you like folks in white suits, you’ll love this.

You Tube video celebrating National Honey Bee Day

I hope it made you smile.

On a more serious note, here is a link to one of the most beautiful pieces about honey bees and the awesome part they play in our world.

“Dance of the Honey Bee” was produced in 2013 by Bill Moyer. Enjoy!