00:13Have you ever wondered why bees should be considered one of man's best friends?
00:17Or which country produces the most honey?
00:19Or how about why some bees sting and some don't?
00:22Well, here's your chance to get more fun facts about bees than ever before.
00:26And to find out how you can even help the bees that live in your own backyard.
00:30It's the buzz about bees.
00:35It is true that some people are extremely frightened by bees.
00:39A fear of bees is known as apophobia or melissophobia.
00:44Stand back. These are winter boots.
00:47Don't kill him.
00:48You know I'm allergic to them. This thing could kill me.
00:51But the truth is that a bee that is away from the hive looking for nectar or pollen will rarely
00:56sting.
00:57Everybody knows you sting someone, you die. You don't waste it on a squirrel.
01:00You're such a hothead.
01:02So the next time you see a bee, don't be scared.
01:04If you save a bee, you are actually helping everyone around you.
01:08Here, have a crown.
01:11Oh, thanks.
01:16Throughout history, the bees have actually faced many hazards.
01:21And you'll be happy to know that bees haven't had one day off in 27 million years.
01:27In that time, they have had to endure freezing weather, scorching heat waves, and many different types of honey thieves,
01:34including large bears.
01:35How would you like his big hairy head crashing through your living room, biting into your couch, spitting out your
01:40throat pillows?
01:41Roar! Roar!
01:43Okay, that's enough. Take him away.
01:47Throughout the world, there are over 50 million bee colonies that are cared for by beekeepers.
01:52They make the honey, and we make the money.
01:56Most beekeepers care for bees by keeping the hives warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
02:01During the spring and fall, the beekeepers make sure the hive is kept close to flowers that are full of
02:06nectar.
02:07I had no idea.
02:11In China, the leading producer of honey, they have raised honeybees for over 2,000 years.
02:16And in the USA, the third largest producer of honey, there are nearly 4 million bee colonies, tended to by
02:23over 200,000 different beekeepers.
02:27Argentina is the largest honey-producing country in South America.
02:30America, due to all of their pasture crops.
02:33France is the leading honeymaker in Europe, due in part to all of the flowers they grow to help with
02:38the production of perfume.
02:40On a worldwide basis, there is over 1 million tons of honey harvested each year.
02:45Well, that's our whole SAT test right there.
02:51While honey is the number one thing made by bees...
02:54You know what? I don't even like honey. I don't eat it.
02:57They also produce other useful products, like beeswax.
03:01Beeswax is secreted by the bees and used to make their honeycomb.
03:05I didn't know that.
03:06Honeybees may consume 8 to 20 pounds of honey to produce just one pound of wax.
03:11How could they never have told us that?
03:14Beeswax is naturally more tacky and flexible than petroleum-based wax.
03:17So the resulting wax is stickier, making it perfect to use as surfboard wax.
03:22Woo! That bowl is gnarly!
03:25There are many products made from beeswax, like all-natural candles, lipstick, and crayons.
03:30A piece of thread is made stronger by dipping it in beeswax before using it to sew.
03:35It's the greatest thing in the world. I was excited to be a part of making it.
03:42Perhaps the honeybee's greatest contribution to everyone is pollination.
03:47Pollination is a prerequisite for fertilization.
03:50And fertilization allows flowers to develop seeds that, in turn, create more flowers.
03:55It's a never-ending cycle.
03:57All right, scramble jocks, it's time to fly.
04:00In nature's economy, bees are an important provider to flowering plants,
04:04who pay the bees with food for the pollination and for their offspring.
04:07Pick up some pollen over here, sprinkle it over here.
04:10Maybe a dash over there, pinch on that one.
04:13It's a little bit of magic, ain't it?
04:14Wow, that's amazing.
04:16So while the bees are out collecting nectar to produce honey,
04:19they pollinate our crops, gardens, and trees.
04:22Look at that. That's more pollen than you and I will ever see in a lifetime.
04:25As a matter of fact, nearly a billion dollars worth of crops a year in the United States alone
04:30rely on bee pollination for continued growth.
04:33And nearly 25% of the food consumed in the United States is from plants pollinated by honeybees.
04:39Fruits, vegetables, they all need bees.
04:43Examples of crops that rely on honeybees are alfalfa, almonds, apples, apricots, asparagus, avocados,
04:50blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupes,
04:52carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, berries, carrots, oranges,
04:55carrots, peppers, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots, carrots.
04:56And watermelons.
04:58So if there's no more pollination, it could all just go south here, couldn't it?
05:05Honey bees have been disappearing in huge numbers for a variety of reasons.
05:10See that? He's dead, dead, another dead one,
05:12deady, deadified, two more dead, dead from the neck up, dead from the neck down.
05:16But that's life.
05:17But one thing is for sure.
05:18The bees need our help.
05:24And one way to help is to build a bee-friendly garden.
05:28It's easy to do.
05:29Just follow these simple guidelines.
05:31Plant bee-friendly plants and flowers like daisies, zinnia, and sunflowers.
05:36In fact, bees tend to be attracted to most any flowers that are blue, purple, and yellow.
05:41Did you see the giant flower?
05:42What giant flower? Where?
05:44Of course I saw the flower.
05:45That was genius, man, genius.
05:47As for plants, bees like sage, oregano, lavender, and mint.
05:52Oh, those just get me psychotic!
05:57And finally, all bees need a place where they can be safe from predators and weather.
06:02A great way to create this hotel for bees is to ask your parents to help you build a bee
06:07box.
06:08Mom, the bees are back!
06:10It's the ultimate hive-away-from-home.
06:12Bee boxes are easy to make, and having these bees around will help your garden grow.
06:17To make your own bee box, follow these simple steps.
06:20One, find a 4x4 block of wood that has not been painted or stained.
06:25Two, have an adult use a drill to make deep holes into the wood, being careful not to drill through
06:31to the other side.
06:32The bees will be happiest if the holes are about 3 inches deep.
06:35Three, make sure there are no wood shavings in the holes.
06:39Four, hang the box in an outside area that is exposed to sunlight.
06:43The bee box should be about 4 feet off the ground and placed near your trees and plants that need
06:48pollinating.
06:49Five, step back and take a look at your new home for bees.
06:52Barry, I told you, stop flying in the house!
06:57So the next time you see a bee and want to swat them, remember all the good things they do.
07:02Then, put down the swatter, open the window, and let them be free.
07:07When you save a bee, you save the world.
07:10Then follow me!
07:12Accept keychain!
07:25Take care!
07:25Take care!
