If you’d asked me about bees when I was a kid, I would have given you a much different answer than I would today. Probably something like, “Eek! Get them away from me!” Now I’d say, “Not all superheroes wear capes—honeybees have wings.”

It took me a long time to fall in love with bees and to appreciate them for their essential role in our food system. These days, bees need our support to keep being our heroes as pollinators and in helping to maintain the health of our ecosystem. And delivering delicious honey, perfect for making cocktails or Honey Cake.

So if you can, avoid using insecticides or other pesticides in your yard because they can kill bees. Bees can be killed immediately if they come in contact with an insecticide while foraging. Or if a tainted bee flies back to its colony, it can bring contaminated pollen or nectar or residue on its body, according to the University of Georgia Bee Program’s website.

When we help honeybees, they gift us with honey. There are over 300(!) different types of honey in the United States, per the National Honey Board. If you’ve shopped for honey at a local farmers’ market, you’ve likely seen a range of colors—from almost white to molasses-dark—and tasted each honey’s distinct flavors, depending on where the bees foraged.

I’m partial to the floral notes of orange blossom honey. But you might prefer avocado honey, with its dark color and pronounced flavor with buttery tones. Or even mild sage honey that takes a long time to get grainy.

Whichever honey—or multiple varieties—you choose, remember the bees that made it for you. Join us in celebrating World Bee Day on May 20.

Sarene Wallace
Managing Editor