BOISE – Honey bees were all the buzz at the Idaho Capitol this week.
Lt. Gov. Brad Little signed a proclamation declaring Saturday, August 19th, as Honey Bee Day.
The proclamation is meant to bring awareness to people about the importance of honey bees to our food production and Idaho’s agriculture industry.
“Most people have probably heard in the news of colony collapse disorder where annual winter losses were 10 percent 30 or 40 years ago. Now it averages 20 or 30 percent, which is really significant for the food we eat,” said Ken Sennen with the Treasure Valley Beekeepers Club. “As the proclamation said one in three bites of food is pollinated by bees or the result of pollination by bees.
Several members of the Treasure Valley Beekeepers Club flanked Little as he read and signed the proclamation.
There are 70 to 80 commercial beekeepers in Idaho that produce honey and bees wax products, as well as provide pollination services, and there are hundreds of amateur beekeepers keeping hives in their own backyards.
