The name Anton Janša may not be familiar to many people except in the world of apiary. Janša (20 May 1734 – 13 September 1773) is regarded as the pioneer of beekeeping and it is apt that since 2017 his birth date of 20th May has been celebrated as World Bee Day.
Bees are an essential part of the environment and are responsible for pollinating many flowers, plants and for us commercial food crops. The decline in bee numbers globally is down to a number of factors but with a third of all our food depending on bee pollination it is a situation that demands our attention. Globally intensive farming methods employing bee killing pesticides is one factor over which we have control.
So the next time your picnic or barbecue is disrupted by bees remember, we need them more that they need us.