On the Beekeeper’s Day – February 10, the bee Helen visited the children from “Dr. Petar Beron” kindergarten in Varna. She told them about her native home – the hive and about her life – from the tiny egg, through the larva and the pupa to the bee collecting nectar and pollinating the flowers of the Earth.
The kids put on a beekeeping costume, learned about beekeeping tools and opened a real hive with honeycombs. And out came interesting questions and facts about bees.
They learned why bees are so important to our planet. They found out that these are the only insects that produce food for humans. And how we can help them by planting flowers, letting them have water in the summer and especially not using pesticides when growing plants.
The professional holiday of the beekeeper is linked to the Christian Orthodox calendar, when we honour Sts. Haralampie. The saint is accepted as the patron saint of beekeepers. It is no coincidence that, according to belief, he keeps all diseases away, and on his feast day cakes are kneaded, spread with honey and distributed for health.
Honey is not only delicious, but also very useful for people’s health. It contains valuable vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and has antibacterial properties. It practically does not spoil as long as it is stored properly. Archaeologists have discovered copper in Egyptian tombs that is more than 3,000 years old.
Sample some of the delicious honey with a cause and support our bee education module here.
During its lifetime, which lasts on average 2-3 months, a bee produces 1 teaspoon of honey. It is estimated that to obtain 1 kg of honey bees must visit several million flowers, flying 150,000 km, This distance is approximately 4 times the circumference of the Earth.
Learn more about bees and beekeeping from the film “Life in a scoop of honey”:
