A Bee Blog! Part One

Have you tried Native Harvest’s honey? It is a delicious addition to yogurt, cereal, tea, or fry bread.

At White Earth Land Recovery Project, we are passionate about supporting and protecting pollinators like the honey bee. We use organic, ecologically friendly practices in our production. Honey bees pollinate a number of important food crops including but not limited to: lemons, tangerines, kiwi, carrot, onion, strawberry, herbs, and persimmons.

But did you know that many of the bees responsible for pollinating vital food crops and other crops are not honey bees, but native bees?

Honey bees typically get the most attention because they give us delicious honey and wax for products. Many people are actively speaking out to protect the honey bee from Neonicotinoids. But less people are vocal about protecting other pollinators like native bees, wasps, beetles, and ants.

According to Wikipedia, Neonicotinoids “are a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically similar to nicotine….In the late 1990s neonicotinoids came under increasing scrutiny over their environmental impact. Neonicotinoid use was linked in a range of studies to adverse ecological effects, including honey-bee colony collapse disorder (CCD) and loss of birds due to a reduction in insect populations; however, the findings have been controversial.

In 2013, the European Union and a few non EU countries restricted the use of certain neonicotinoids.” Without pollinators, we wouldn’t enjoy the fruits and vegetables that we consume today. Ironically, the crops we spray are not only killing “pests”, but kill beneficial insects and bugs, as well. The beneficial bugs that are not targeted as “pests” are still killed by pesticide use. As pollinator populations decline, so will the species that depend on the pollinators for reproduction.

Additionally, many of the insects and bugs that fall victim to pesticide use are food sources for birds, dragonflies, frogs, and other larger animals. We live in an interconnected system, so it isn’t just the targeted “pest” that suffers from the effect of pesticide use. The entire ecosystem is affected by herbicide and insecticide use.

When you buy Native Harvest Products, you are supporting the White Earth Land Recovery Project and all our efforts to improve ecosystem health for future generations.

Check out our Native Harvest Honey or Sweet Dreams Native Harvest Gourmet Gift Box.

Ditch the white sugar, and try sweetening your favorite foods and beverages with Native Harvest raw honey!