How Bees Create Community (and might save ours)

Ever feel like there is a buzzing sound in your head that you just can’t get rid of?

Maybe it is just me that hears the buzzing sound as I sit on the riverbank writing in my journal. The buzz I am referring to is not from liquor, beer or anything like that. As I look over my shoulder and realize the buzz is from dozens, better yet likely hundreds of bees.

Sitting on the bench that’s has a bush buffer behind covered with bees buzzing around.

These bees remind me of when I was a child. I used to catching bees on my lunch break in my sandwich bag. Granted this was not an amusing hobby according to my panicked teachers. Fear consumed their reaction creating havoc every time. They feared I (or worse they) would be stung by the bees (which never happened).

The furry little legs and beady eyes would intrigue and tickle me as they crawled on my hands and arms. Terrified my teachers would move the other kids away from me.

It never ceases to amaze me how these same bees hold the future of the world on their wings. “One of every three bites of our food originates from bees pollinating the flowers that produce many of our fruits, nuts and vegetables.” We depend on bees for much of our food and with them on the edge of collapse should be something we treasure rather than fear.

As I sit where many others would panic I watch God’s little army at work. Hundreds of bees flitting about from flower to flower. Hard working little creatures so small yet so vital to our own survival.

A simple sting from one of these bees could cause anaphylactic  shock or worse in some people. Others spend their life savings harvesting and raising bees in their own backyards.

One thing said about bees is they work better as community. Not only do they work together for the better of the hive but they sustain communities as well. By working as a sustainable team they produce local honey that in turn people are able to harvest and sell in their own communities.

As we work to save the colonial collapse of these bees that are buzzing about my head. I cannot help to take a moment just to watch in amazement as they work together as community. The next time you see some flowers in full bloom, maybe stop and smell them. Without the little bees buzzing about our future may not be so bright.