Hi again! Today, I’m really excited to talk about the bees that make our sweet Philippine honey. Before I started learning about honey, I didn’t know we have different kinds of bees in our country. Now, let me introduce you to a few of them!
The Philippine Native Bee (Apis cerana)
These bees have lived in our islands for a very long time. I think of them as our “original bees.” They’re smaller compared to the bees you might see in cartoons. But don’t let their size fool you—they work super hard collecting nectar from our local flowers, giving us honey that’s unique and tasty.
The European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Some beekeepers here raise European honey bees, which were brought to the Philippines a while back. They’re known for making lots of honey and are often kept in big hives. Even though they’re not originally from the Philippines, they’ve adapted to our warm weather.
The Stingless Bees
Have you ever heard of stingless bees? Yes, you read that right! These tiny bees don’t have stingers, so they’re mostly harmless. Because they’re so small, they produce less honey. But their honey can taste really sweet and sometimes even a bit sour, which is fun to try!
Why Different Bees Are Important
All these bees—big or small, native or introduced—do an amazing job pollinating flowers. Pollination means carrying pollen from one flower to another, helping plants grow fruits and seeds. This is important for our farms and gardens because it helps us grow food like mangoes, bananas, and vegetables.
My Bee-Loving Tip
Sometimes, I plant bee-friendly flowers in a small pot or garden box at home. Flowers like gumamela (hibiscus) or sunflowers can bring bees around. It’s my way of saying “thank you” to these tiny heroes.
I hope you learned something new today! Tomorrow, I’ll share more honey goodness with you. Thanks for stopping by and remember—bees are our friends, so let’s do our best to protect them!
P.S. Do you see any bees in your backyard or neighborhood? How do they look? Feel free to share your stories with me!
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