This first World Bee Day recognizes the important contribution that managed honey bees, wild bees and beekeepers make to the economy and environment.
Pollinators are a gardener's friend. Most flowering plants, including fruit and vegetables, can't reproduce without the help of bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, flies, hummingbirds or other pollinators.
Ontario's pollinators generate more than $1 billion in value to Ontario's agricultural crops each year, about 15 per cent of the province's total crop value.
Want to help your neighbourhood bees?
See: Information for gardeners.
"Honey bees and other insect pollinators are important to Ontario's agriculture, ecosystems and biodiversity," said Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture. "This first World Bee Day gives us a great opportunity to recognize how important it is to protect them, work with beekeepers and grow this sector."
The ministry works with beekeepers to maintain the viability of Ontario's beekeeping sector through education and outreach, an apiary inspection program, and a monitoring program to better understand the complexity of bee health in the province and risk factors such as Varroa mites and to improve the health of bee colonies.
See: Ontario Beekeeper Association here.
And Board's Honey Farm in Restoule here
And: Muskoka-Parry Sound Beekeepers' Association
And: Sudbury & District Beekeepers' Association
There are about 3,000 registered beekeepers in Ontario who manage more than 100,000 honey bee colonies and Ontario is home to several hundred species of native bees.
In addition to producing honey, beeswax, and other retail items, beekeepers provide a service to farmers by providing honey bees to pollinate their crops.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, May 30 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the North Bay Museum, the Heritage Gardeners are presenting an education session called ‘Gardening with Pollinators’ presented by Melanie Alkins.
“I am a biologist by training, Naturalist by heart, and gardener by experiment. And I love to share my passion and curiosity with others such that they feel inspired to do those things that resonate with them and support a connected community,” says Alkins.
The Heritage Gardeners will be creating a wildflower garden at the waterfront which will be maintained by volunteers from the Nipissing Naturalists Club. This education session would also be helpful to those interested in joining the team.
The United Nations designated May 20 as World Bee Day to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development.
Make a Foodland Ontario recipe using Ontario honey
