Hurricane Ian left bees starving in Florida. Here’s why they need us

Hurricane Ian decimated countless bee colonies used to pollinate the nation's agriculture. CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir speaks with Florida beekeepers still reeling from the loss. #CNN #News

48 comments

  1. I’m in Florida and my backyard is a bee heaven , it doesn’t take much. Just plant some flowers that they like, and they will come.

    1. @Mir_NaStyyy First do a lot of studying and watch a lot of beekeeping videos, then order a beekeeping starter kit and a 3 or 5 pound package of bees with queen. Put them in your new hive.

    2. @Mir_NaStyyy if you don’t want to start a hive, you can help the wild bee population by not using pesticides and giving ‘weeds’ a spot in your garden. The daisy like Spanish Needle, and beautiful, blue Spiderwort grow wild and offer great pollinating opportunities for bees.

  2. Bees are very important. We do need to help them. My late aunt and uncle had bee hives. For years, my aunt mailed us a big container with honey. Each lasted until the next one a year later.:).

    1. Since we plant our crops side by side and not scattered about the biblical countryside, our main pollinator is the wind, not magical jesus bees.

      And please stop eating the bug vomit…

  3. And, might I add, we need them… Natural Pollinators without Bees, no food supply. Yes, there are other pollinators, butterflies, bats, but Bees are the best. I plant flowers that attract bees.🐝❤🙏

    1. That’s great! Do your best to use native plants. Native pollinators (such as solitary bees) have been hurting for a long time but most of the news stories are about commercial bee operations.

    1. Thank you for liking my page , Support you showered on me, I hope you never stop watching my movies , how are you doing ?Are you one of my fans ❤❤

  4. As a beekeeper, let’s clarify some things. 1. There are feral honeybees that survive without human intervention. Managed bees do well under good management, but wild colonies can survive as well. 2. Bee survival is not dependent on almonds. Almond crops ARE dependent on commercial beekeepers. The commercial beekeeping industry would be hurt without almond pollination contracts. Bees would be fine. 3. Mann Lake is a retail supplier, not a research organization. They would like everyone to keep bees cuz it would help their revenue.

    1. I concur relative wild honeybees. We have wild colonies living in trees on our property and have to manage our hives accordingly. Harvested significant honey from a storm fallen large Oak 2 years ago. Tried to find the Queen but were unsuccessful. We seek the wild genetics for our hives, for obvious reasons.

    2. Thank you for that. I know that my yard is flush w/bees because I don’t use any pesticides and I fight code enforcement when they want me to destroy the Bidens Alba, Spiderwort, and other ‘weeds’ that feed the bees. Someone, possibly the Extension Service, said that 60% of Florida honey is now made by bees who pollinate the Bidens plant.

  5. Honeybees aren’t native to the US. Our native bees are becoming more rare, too. Honeybees are social and often force native bees from flowers. Please do some need on our native bees and the risk honeybees pose to them instead.

    1. THANK YOU! As a former beekeeper, I cannot stand the “save the bees” movement pushing for commercialization of European and Asian species. Native bees may not produce honey, but are the true species America needs to prioritize saving and protecting.

  6. This is the kind of important every-man story that media outlets like CNN and the big networks excel at, and politics-only networks like Fox News just utterly lack.

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  7. As a virgin Islander I could tell anyone a hurricane hitting your home is the worst thing ever but the aftermath is even much more worse🤔

  8. This is terrifying. Trying to expand pollinator native plantings on family cabin property in northern Michigan. We are nothing without nature.

  9. Where I live in Australia the local bee keepers ask people who have large flower filled gardens or natural bushland if they can place a colony in their yard. The land owner gets some honey out of it. I don’t know if this happens everywhere but it’s a way to spread the bee population out, which makes for healthier colonies. The people I know who have colonies are just happy that they’re helping the bees to survive, and the honey is a bonus.

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