Honey Bees… The Sweetness of a South Carolina Summer
Help ensure we have the home grown sweetness of a South Carolina summer. Apples, cantaloupes, cucumbers, squash and watermelons are just a few of the nutritious, safe and locally grown fruits and vegetables we have come to expect from our South Carolina farmers. But one of the farmer’s hardest working allies is under attack…
The honey bee, primarily responsible for pollinating almost one third of the food crops we eat, has had to fight for survival. First it was the tracheal mites from Europe, then the varroa mites from Asia, next the small hive beetles from Africa, and now beekeepers throughout the United States are faced with a mysterious “colony collapse disorder” that results in death of previously healthy colonies.
Over the past 60 years the number of managed honey bee colonies in the United States has declined from about 5.5 million colonies to less than 2.4 million colonies today. Yet, the value of increased yield and quality achieved through pollination by honey bees alone in the United States is estimated at $14.6 billion today.
While the honey bee is probably not in danger of extinction, keeping enough healthy colonies to ensure continued availability of wholesome, nutritious, locally grown fruits and vegetables in South Carolina is becoming more and more difficult.
So, please join the South Carolina Beekeepers Association (SCBA) and Clemson University as we jointly search for solutions. Become a “research partner” by making a tax deductible contribution to the South Carolina Beekeepers Association “Save Our Bees” fund. Administered by the SCBA, this fund will be used to underwrite small research projects investigating problems facing South Carolina beekeepers.
Want to do more?
Consider establishing or contributing to a research endowment that will ensure a long term institutional commitment to beekeeping and South Carolina farmers. Your generosity will help ensure the fruits and vegetables of South Carolina summer are enjoyed by our children and grandchildren for years and years to come.
