9/1/04

CONTACT: Mike Hood, (864) 656-0346

WRITER: Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741

September is a  ‘honey of a month’

CLEMSON – September is the time to pay tribute to honey bees and all the work they do.

Honey bees are the only insects that produce a food consumed by humans, according to the National Honey Board.

Clemson University is helping the honey bee and the beekeeper in South Carolina through several educational efforts. Clemson offers beekeepers a four-level Master Beekeeper Program in conjunction with the S.C. Beekeepers Association and offers the only applied beekeeping course to undergraduate students at the college or university level in South Carolina .

“We also conduct research on honey bees, particularly research on honey bee parasitic mites and the small hive beetle,” said Mike Hood, Clemson Extension’s state bee specialist.

The university co-hosts two state-wide beekeeper conventions annually in the spring and summer.

“We offer beekeeping symposiums and workshops at local beekeeper association meetings,” said Hood. “We also assist beekeepers in diagnosing management problems and making recommendations.”

There are approximately 2,500 beekeepers in the state, according to Hood. He encourages everyone to get to know more about the honey bee.

The honey bee not only makes honey, but it plays a vital role in crop fertilization. As honey bees pass from blossom to blossom gathering nectar, they collect and redistribute pollen around the plant, thus fertilizing the plants and enabling them to reproduce.

The United States Department of Agriculture has estimated that more than 2 million acres of U.S. fruit, vegetable, oilseed and legume seed crops depend on insect pollination. Another 63 million acres derive some benefit from insect pollination. An estimated 80 percent of crop insect pollination is accomplished by the honey bee. The almond crop is entirely dependent on honey bee pollination.

Honey bees are social insects. A colony of honey bees includes a queen, drones and workers. The queen is the largest bee in the colony and the only sexually developed female in the hive. Drones are stout male bees which have no stingers and the workers are sexually undeveloped females and the smallest in the colony. A colony contains one queen, 500 to 1,000 drones and, 40,000 to 60,000 workers.

Honey ranges in color from almost colorless to dark amber brown and its flavor varies from delectably mild to richly bold. As a general rule, light-colored honey is milder in taste and dark-colored honey is stronger.

Research has shown that unlike most sweeteners, honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. It is also a rich source of carbohydrates that provides a quick source of energy.

Honey’s unique composition makes it an effective antimicrobial agent, useful for treating minor burns and scrapes and for aiding the treatment of sore throats and other bacterial infections.

“Many of the crops honey bees have a vested interest in are harvested in September, so each year it’s appropriate to celebrate the honey bee and all the work they do down on the farm” said Hood.

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