It is estimated that approximately one-third of the food varieties consumed are pollinated by insects, and central among these pollinators is the honey bee.  The industrious honey bee’s role in agriculture cannot be understated; for without it, we would not be able to enjoy the bounty of fruits and vegetables that have become the staple of today’s diet.   For every apple, pear, blueberry, cucumber, squash, or melon savored, more likely than not a honey bee can be thanked for its existence.  These gentle, yet hardworking, creatures are prolific in their pollinating tasks:  a single honey bee visits between 50 – 100 flowers on each of its trips from the hive.  And it has been estimated to take about 556 workers to gather one pound of honey from about two million flowers!

Yet, sadly, today’s honey bee is under assault from many directions.  With the presence of lethal and sub-lethal pesticides and insecticides in the environment, the stress placed on the migratory honey bee from the monoculture model of agriculture, the gradual loss of habitat and wild forage space, and the increased incidence of pests and diseases (including the mysterious colony collapse disorder), the honey bee today faces many challenges to its existence and well-being.

Small, local farms and hobby beekeepers play an important role in restoring the health and well-being of the honey bee and the honey bee population.  Local farms, such as Old Ocean House Farms, produce a wide variety of flowering plants for the honey bee to forage on, providing them with a more diverse diet.  And unlike large monoculture farms, backyard farms and gardens also tend to be within proximity to a diverse amount of wildflowers that are within the flying radius of the foraging honey bee.

The two colonies located at Old Ocean House Farms were installed in April 2009 from two packages of Italian honey bees.  Each package starts with approximately 10,500 bees and over the course of the summer can swell to a population of 60,000+ bees per hive! The Italian strain of honey bees has been a longtime favorite among beekeepers and are prized for their gentle disposition and high level of honey production.  Despite 2009 being one of the wettest summers in Maine on record, the two hives at OOH Farms managed to produce approximately 180 pounds of surplus honey in their first year.  The colonies are owned and cared for by hobbyist beekeeper Ron Hunt, of Portland, Maine.

For more information about bees and beekeeping in Maine, check out the information provided by the Maine State Beekeepers Association by visiting its website at www.mainebeekeepers.com.