Members and guests who attended the first meeting of the 2013 season of the Maryborough Horticultural Society learned a lot about honey bees. Speaker Janna Dodds provided a wealth of information about bees, honey and beekeeping.
Dodds, herself a beekeeper, spoke about the importance of bees. She said they play an indispensable role in pollinating flowers, fruit trees and many crops.
She noted about one-third of the honey bees in North America have disappeared over the last few years. Some of the reasons are: pesticides, inadequate food supply, viruses and global warming.
Honey is good for you, says Dodds, who encourages people to use non-pasteurized honey. As a sweetener it has fewer calories than sugar and contains vitamins. Honey is not only a healthy food, but is a great healer, she states, noting its antibacterial properties help to heal wounds.
Dodds described a bee hive and the jobs of each of the inhabitants – the queen, the drones and the workers.
She brought samples for the tasting of various kinds of honey which the bees had gathered from different flowers eg. dandelion, goldenrod, clover. After a question period, Dodds was thanked for her informative presentation.
Because of deteriorating weather conditions, the meeting was soon brought to a close and chair, Hannah Veld wished everyone a safe trip home.
The next meeting will be held on March 26 at the Optimist Hall in Moorefield at 7:30pm.
