Why We Should All Thank the Bees on Thanksgiving Day

Why We Should All Thank the Bees on Thanksgiving Day

A honey bee pollinating an apple blossom. Photo Credit: Zechariah Judy, CreativeCommons.org

As temperatures drop and the leaves begin to fall, we are reminded that the holiday season is upon us yet again. From casseroles and salads, to side dishes and desserts, we have a lot on our heaping plates that we owe to honey bee pollination. Apis mellifera, the western honey bee, along with hundreds of native honey bee species, are responsible for many of our healthy, nutritious foods consumed to keep a balanced diet. Honey bees are viewed as the most proficient pollinator, largely due to the variety of crops they pollinate. Commercial beekeepers spend much of the year migrating honey bee colonies all over the United States to pollinate highly profitable crops, including almonds in California, alfalfa in the Dakotas, and cranberries in Maine, just to name a few. Here are some of our most beloved holiday dishes which reach our holiday tables as a result of the hard work of bees AND commercial beekeepers!