Bees ~ Our Garden Friends
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shadylane5acres
New Member
Just sharing some information that I came across...interesting,and humorous
The domestic honeybee we know today is native to Europe and Africa. The pioneer botanist Linnaeus first named it Apis mellifera which means "honey-bearing". He later revised it to mellificameaning "honey-making, when learning that the bees did not collect honey from the wild but actually manufactured it in the hive.
Today there are four species of honeybee in the world, all of which build wax combs and store a surplus of honey. None are native to the states.
Bumble bees, wasps and hornets are an entirely different ball of wax. They live communally but they do not store honey the way honeybees do.
Our relationship with the honeybee goes back as far as the origin of the English language. Here are some phrases of bee-related terms. I've said and did a few.
Bee's Knees
Popularized in the 1920's by rollicking ragtime flappers, the phrase means the height of excellence. In fact, bees' knees do play an excellent role in honey making. Located mid-leg are the corbiculaie, or baskets, used to store pollen while in flight.
Mind your own beeswax
When pioneer wives made candles from scratch, they would continually stir cauldrons of bubbling beeswax so as not to let it burn. Some women, it turns out, were prone to gossiping and ignoring the task at hand, prompting others to admonish, "mind your beeswax.
Make a Beeline
"Jimmy made a bee-line for the all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet." Refers to the bee's canny ability to follow the shortest route back to the hive.
Busy as a Bee
Honeybees are called workers for a reason. They spend their lives building honeycombs, caring for larvae, cleaning the hive, feeding the queen and collecting food. Non stop..all worker bees are females.
[/B]Honeymoon[/B]
From middle ages, when newlyweds were provided with enough honey wine, or mead, to last them the first month or first lunar cycle of their life together. Could this be the beginning of "Oh,honey dear" or those "honey do" jobs.
Beehive Hairdo
The ultimate 1960's hairdo demanded an arsenal of hairspray. The ozone has never been the same.
Land of Milk and Honey
The old Testament refers to Israel as the land of milk and honey. Today, the term refers to any place where living conditions are ideal.
Honey Tongued
Shakespearean for sweet speaking, persuasive and seductive characters. "Beware the Ides of March", says Willie the Bard...and any honey-tongued lawyers, salesmen or telemarketers.
The domestic honeybee we know today is native to Europe and Africa. The pioneer botanist Linnaeus first named it Apis mellifera which means "honey-bearing". He later revised it to mellificameaning "honey-making, when learning that the bees did not collect honey from the wild but actually manufactured it in the hive.
Today there are four species of honeybee in the world, all of which build wax combs and store a surplus of honey. None are native to the states.
Bumble bees, wasps and hornets are an entirely different ball of wax. They live communally but they do not store honey the way honeybees do.
Our relationship with the honeybee goes back as far as the origin of the English language. Here are some phrases of bee-related terms. I've said and did a few.
Bee's Knees
Popularized in the 1920's by rollicking ragtime flappers, the phrase means the height of excellence. In fact, bees' knees do play an excellent role in honey making. Located mid-leg are the corbiculaie, or baskets, used to store pollen while in flight.
Mind your own beeswax
When pioneer wives made candles from scratch, they would continually stir cauldrons of bubbling beeswax so as not to let it burn. Some women, it turns out, were prone to gossiping and ignoring the task at hand, prompting others to admonish, "mind your beeswax.
Make a Beeline
"Jimmy made a bee-line for the all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet." Refers to the bee's canny ability to follow the shortest route back to the hive.
Busy as a Bee
Honeybees are called workers for a reason. They spend their lives building honeycombs, caring for larvae, cleaning the hive, feeding the queen and collecting food. Non stop..all worker bees are females.
[/B]Honeymoon[/B]
From middle ages, when newlyweds were provided with enough honey wine, or mead, to last them the first month or first lunar cycle of their life together. Could this be the beginning of "Oh,honey dear" or those "honey do" jobs.
Beehive Hairdo
The ultimate 1960's hairdo demanded an arsenal of hairspray. The ozone has never been the same.
Land of Milk and Honey
The old Testament refers to Israel as the land of milk and honey. Today, the term refers to any place where living conditions are ideal.
Honey Tongued
Shakespearean for sweet speaking, persuasive and seductive characters. "Beware the Ides of March", says Willie the Bard...and any honey-tongued lawyers, salesmen or telemarketers.
GardenBear1
New Member
Randy, I use to read Zane Gray books as a kid, I would get lost in the stories, would spend hours reading his books, now I think I would like to reread them again, I'll have to check out the used book store to see if the have any, its even better than watching the radio and listen to the Shadow, lone Ranger, and some of the old radio show, Sorry about getting off subject 
DaveGrows3
New Member
Interesting post. I didn't know we didn't have any native honey bees. Everyone is worried about what will happen if they continue their decline in population. I suppose people got along without them earlier, but than, they were growing different/fewer crops as well
jhoncarter
New Member
The greater the number of suitable flowering plants in your garden the better but you should aim for at least two kinds of bee-friendly plant for each flowering period.
Artificial grass Tamworth
Artificial grass Tamworth
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