WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Wichita City Council voted earlier this week to proclaim Saturday as “Save The Bees Day.”
The honey bee is the official state insect of Kansas, but local apiarist Britt Hopper says bees need better protections.
Hopper makes house calls for bee removal and relocation.
“I’m excited we recognize Save the Bees but the fact of the matter is: I come to way too many of these and I tell the homeowner this is what it costs to do it, and they’ll say forget about it I’m just going to kill them. Common response,” Hopper said.
KSN tagged along on a house call to the Andover area on Thursday. Hopper determined the best course of action, for now, is to keep the bees in the tree until they can be safely removed in the springtime.
According to the 2019-2020 National Honey Bee Colony Loss Survey, nearly 44% of colonies were lost this past year. Losses during summer 2019 marked the highest ever recorded by the Bee Informed Partnership. Losses during winter 2019/2020 were the second-lowest on record.
“The difference between us and the bee is everything the bee does benefit mankind, 100%. Not one thing they do is harmful to man,” Hopper said.
Often, people try to refute that with the fact that bee stings can kill those who are allergic. To that, Hopper points out the use of bee products, including venom, in helping with arthritis, MS, headaches, cramps, even fertility.
Hopper says a teaspoon of honey requires twelve bees, as one bee produced one drop of honey for life.
