The buzz about GPOE!

Carol Foster poses in front of a painting-in-progress

We’ve cleaned up our act a bit from last year’s Trash-themed Greatest Party on Earth and have started to focus more on the little things…like bees! While small in stature, bees play a huge role in our environment, ecosystem, and lives! We’ve been studying their shape, size, color, and patterns and AFH teens and mentors are  transforming our newfound bee-knowledge into works of art! So, while we prepare for the 7^th annual Greatest Party on Earth, here are some facts we’ve learned that we’d like to share and join in our bee-appreciation! And remember…you can buy your tickets now at a discounted price, while it lasts!

*Bees are the only insect that produces food eaten by man.

*A hive of bees will fly 90,000 miles, the equivalent of three orbits around the earth to collect 1 kg of honey.

* A productive hive can make and store up to two pounds of honey a day. Thirty-five pounds of honey provides enough energy for a small colony to survive the winter.

*Bees have two stomachs. Some nectar goes into a bee's main stomach to digest for food and energy, the rest of the nectar goes into a special stomach where the bee can process the nectar into honey and transport it back to the hive.

*Beeswax is secreted from the bee's glands and is used to build the honeycomb. Humans use beeswax in drugs, cosmetics, artists' materials, furniture polish and candles.

*Honeybees are not aggressive by nature, and will not sting unless protecting their hive from an intruder or are unduly provoked.

*Honeybees participate in a highly organized society, with various bees having very specific roles during their lifetime: some are nurses, guards, grocers, housekeepers, construction workers, royal attendants, undertakers, and foragers.

*It takes one ounce of honey to fuel a bee's flight around the world.

*A honey bee visits 50 to 100 flowers during a collection trip.

*Honeybees aren’t native to America…they were brought to America by Europeans.

*Hope we’ve piqued your interest…. And hope to see you at this year’s GPOE!!