A lesson in responsible bee keeping

There was a real buzz about the latest meeting of the Friends of the Melton Botanic Garden as they were joined by a special guest.

On August 14, horticulturist Rebecca Light from Diggers Rest honey producer, Bee Responsible, spoke to attendees about the importance of bee health and sustainable beekeeping.

Encouragement and education were her main priorities for the session.

“If people want to beekeep … or learn about sustainability practices … our aim is to tell them how to go about it,” said Ms Light.

“We explain pollination and the role the honeybee plays in your everyday life.”

The Friends of the Melton Botanic Garden met Ms Light in the sustainability lane of the Djerriwarrh Festival last year and invited her to speak at one of their monthly meetings.

Ms Light said most people do not recognise the integral role bees play in nutrition and sustenance on both local and global scales.

“A lot of us don’t understand where our food comes from – one in three foods we consume has been pollinated by a European honeybee,” she said.

“Without the honeybee, the crops would decline and we’d have less to eat.”

There are two major ways to help out bees – planting flowers and “not killing them,” said Ms Light.

“Plants that are full of nectar and pollen can sustain the bee for pollination, which in turn helps us eat.

“Don’t be scared of them. They aren’t out to hurt you, no honeybee goes out to sting somebody – that’s not their aim.”

Ms Light runs Bee Responsible with her husband Shane.