About National Honey Bee Day
National Honey Bee Day is an awareness day started by beekeepers in the United States to build community awareness of the bee industry, through education and promotion. It is a day to recognize both the honey bee and the beekeepers who tend the hives.
It also encourages everyone to enjoy and buy locally grown honey.
Another important part of the day includes learning about honey bees and providing them with a supportive environment.
The event was started in 2009 by a small group of beekeepers who petitioned for and obtained a formal proclamation by the USDA honoring honey bees and beekeeping. The original date of observation was August 22th 2009, but has since settled on the third Saturday of August.
Bee Facts
- Did you know? Of the 20,000 species of bee, only seven produce honey.
- Did you know? City bumblebees work harder than countryside bumblebees.
- Did you know? Hungry bumblebees bite plants' leaves to make them flower 30 days sooner than they otherwise would.
- Did you know? Caffeinated bees are more energetic but not more productive.
- Did you know? Bees can see a colour imperceptible to humans and known as “bee’s purple”. It is a combination of yellow and UV light.
- Did you know? Honey pretty much never spoils if it is in a sealed container. Archaeologists have found 3000-year-old honey in an ancient Egyptian tomb which was still recognisably honey.
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