Bees have coexisted with us for over a millennia. Their name remains a mystery
Bees have been an integral part of human life for over a millennium, yet the origin of their name remains unclear. As World Bee Day approaches, experts emphasize the importance of bees in pollinating crops and the challenges they face. Recent reports indicate a significant decline in honeybee populations, raising concerns about their future survival.
- ▪Bees are crucial for pollinating a variety of crops, including nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
- ▪The name 'bee' has remained largely unchanged since Old English, but its exact origin is still a mystery.
- ▪Commercial beekeepers in the U.S. reported losing nearly 56% of honeybee colonies last year, the largest decline since 2010.
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Bees have coexisted with us for over a millennia. Their name remains a mystery May 20, 20265:00 AM ET Juliana Kim Bees in a hive in San Diego, Calif. Beekeeping has been a practice for thousands of years. Alan Nakkash for NPR hide caption toggle caption Alan Nakkash for NPR When Kendal Sager lifts the top of her beehive, tens of thousands of bees waggle across the honeycomb — their cells filled with bright yellow, orange and pink pollen collected from flowers in Sager's neighborhood. Sager, a California master beekeeper, said bees do far more than produce that sweet substance: they pollinate crops for hundreds of types of nuts, fruits and vegetables.
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