This week recognizes a global celebration of World Bee Day.
May 20 was chosen as the date for this observation, as it is the birthdate of Anton Janša. Born into a family of beekeepers on May 20, 1734, in Breznica, Carniola (now Slovenia), Janša is considered to be a pioneer of modern apiculture. Beekeeping is one of the country’s most important agricultural activities—and Slovenia, as home of Janša, is accepted as the country that gave us World Bee Day World Bee Day was declared a global celebration by the UN General Assembly in 2018 (fao.org/world-bee-day). This observation helps raise awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people on our planet healthy.
The day was given its official start thanks to the government of Slovenia with the support of Apimondia (apimondia.org), the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations that promotes bee knowledge and the organization of beekeepers’ events. The name ‘Apimondia’ pays homage to the family Apidae. The association has been active for over a century; the First International Apicultural Congress was begun in 1897 in conjunction with the World Fair in Brussels, Belgium.
There are astounding numbers of bees—20,000 different bees in the Apidae family. Next Monday is a chance to participate in an activity that protects our apian pollinators and their habitats.
A quick online search of backyard beekeepers revealed dozens of websites offering guidance from just getting started to advanced beekeeping, honey extraction, and more. One website for Texans is texasheritageforliving. com, published by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance. The website encourages beginners to get started with backyard beekeeping.
Establishing a healthy hive requires a considerable investment in time for maintenance, care, and attention to details. The best time to start a hive is when the bees are most active, which is springtime through summer months in the West Texas region. If all goes as expected, hives begun in the spring should yield a batch of honey by early autumn.
It doesn’t matter if gardeners are mere bee enthusiasts enjoying bees for what they do for us or if are serious beekeepers establishing personal hives, we all can appreciate these diligent, docile creatures. Celebrate bees with the rest of the globe next Monday for World Bee Day.
Ellen Peffley Harp, a retired professor of horticulture at Texas Tech University, writes about gardening for several Texas newspapers
