Honey, Hives, and Conservation

Anyone that knows Anne immediately recognizes her gentle kindness.

Some might say she’s sweet as honey.

She wouldn’t hurt a fly, or in this case, a honey bee. 

Since she was a little girl, Anne Cudnik, a Virtual Site Coordinator at Seeds, has loved honey bees. Some kids have security blankets. Anne had a plush bee. 

Rising Concerns, Declining Populations

In the 1980s, bee populations began rapidly declining. By the early 2000s, professional beekeepers began reporting an average annual loss of 30% or more.

According to researchers at The Ohio State University, the loss of honey bees could be catastrophic to the global food supply. They state, “Bees are responsible for pollinating about one-third of the world’s food. In the United States, honey bees alone provide pollination services valued at $15 billion to $20 billion annually.”

When she heard the earth is losing one of its most valuable resources, Anne began her conservation efforts.

Seven years ago, Anne took a class, donned the protective veil, and took the Official Oath of the Beekeeper (an oath which may or may not exist – you have to become a beekeeper to find out.) 

Currently, she tends three hives – one in her Lakewood-area backyard and two others on a pawpaw orchard owned by friends in Amherst.

Honey Production

Her honey yield has varied wildly from season to season. One year, a hive produced more than 100lbs of honey! Another year there was none to share –  the bees needed it to survive the winter. 

When there’s enough to go around, Anne shares her honey generously with friends and loved ones. “My family enjoys the honey,” she explained. “But they ignore my advice to always wear shoes in the backyard at their own peril.” 

Besides its delicious flavor, honey offers numerous health benefits, with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Stored properly, honey never goes bad! 

However, the liquid gold produced by bees isn’t the only remarkable thing about them. 

Bees and Our Food

Fewer bees mean less pollination, lower crop yields, and less variety of food, which can lead to higher prices. Bees also pollinate crops fed to cattle and chickens, impacting our meat and dairy supply.

Anne is an advocate for the bees, encouraging others to learn about the impact that climate change, pesticide use, habitat loss, and parasitic diseases can have on the bee population. And more importantly, what that means to more than ⅓ of the food we eat. 

A statistic on The Bee Conservancy’s website warns that without bees, we’d lose:

• 100% of almonds, and
• 90% of each of the following: apples, onions, blueberries, cucumbers, and carrots. 

LEARN ABOUT BEEKEEPING

For those interested in beekeeping, Anne recommends the following resources

• The Bee Conservancy
• Beekeeping for Dummies, now in its 5th edition
• Google “beekeeping associations near me” for beginner classes (Anne took one at the Rocky River Nature Center in Northeast Ohio.)
• The Greater Cleveland Beekeeping Association

PURE SPECULATION ABOUT THE OATH OF THE BEEKEEPER

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