If it wasn’t for bees our planet wouldn’t have splendid blooming flowers or our most natural sweeteners, honey. Those fuzzy, bubbly workers are an essential part of our environment, pollinating plants and keeping environments thriving. Unfortunately, they are also one of the many species that need our help, which is why the United Nations designated the 20th of May as World Bee Day, an opportunity to learn about bees and how to protect them.
May 20th was marked as it coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, a Slovenian (then Carniolan) painter who is often credited as the founder of modern beekeeping. Janša believed bees were the hardest working creatures on the planet and designed hives with moveable block components, like canvases for their own tapestries. Janša gave lectures about the importance of bees and best beekeeping practices. He was the first royally appointed teacher of beekeeping for Austria.
Today bees need all the advocacy they can get. Pesticides and disruptive land development are believed to have contributed to a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder. It’s a distressing pattern that had been observed as far back as 1869 but developed into a wider global trend around 2006.
This is why it’s important to cultivate bee-friendly flowers, which vary from area to area, but generally skew towards beautiful and vibrant breeds like sunflowers, cosmos and marigolds. It’s also essential to support not only ethical beekeepers when selecting honey but ethical pest control who will relocate hives in inconvenient areas instead of poisoning them. Austin beekeeper Erika Thompson has become a viral sensation if you are curious what the process of safely removing a beehive looks like (https://www.youtube.com/c/TexasBeeworks).
If you’d like to mark World Bee Day with an embroidery project, then Embroider Buddy has the perfect item for you! Our Missy Bumble Bee Buddy is a bright buzzing bundle of joy. With a cute expression and sharp stripes, this gift is sure to become the queen of your collection. All of our Embroider Buddy toys are designed with embroidery and personalization in mind. Our signature removable stuffing pods make embroidery as easy as smelling the flowers. Embroider Missy Bumble Bee Buddy with your most sentimental springtime charms, a bouquet on their belly so that fresh pollen is never too far away.