For Pollinator Week it has come to our attention that PETA has launched a campaign to Save Our Bees, recommending ways that individuals can help protect pollinators. While we fully support their effort to encourage planting more bee forage, we were disappointed to learn that they advocate purchasing a honey substitute and avoiding any beeswax products. In their plea against honey, they have some incorrect facts—writing that a single bee may visit 10,000 flowers in a day and that beekeepers kill the hive after stealing all the honey.
It’s somewhat ironic that the honey alternative they promote is made from organic apples, as honey bees are most certainly used to pollinate the apple orchards. They also don’t seem to understand that most beeswax used in cosmetic products like lip balm comes from wax cappings, a byproduct of honey extraction.
While we certainly believe in protecting and promoting all pollinators during Pollinator week, we are distressed that beekeepers are misportrayed in their campaign. Beekeepers are deeply concerned with the welfare of their charges, going to great lengths to keep their colonies healthy in the face of a fragmented landscape.