Is that buzzing you hear, or cheers from people in the know?
Honey bees here in Northeast Ohio are finally having a good year. A decade ago there was a colony collapse and many worker bees disappeared.
This meant there weren't enough bees to take care of the rest of the colony.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, some hives lost up to 90 percent of their bees.
Now,the bees are buzzing back into action.
More farmers are now setting aside space for honey bee-friendly plants. Add to that last year's mild winter, and you have the ingredients for more honey-producing bees.
"We've had less winter kill, so the bees are making it through winter, and growing the following year,” said bee expert Richard Manley.
At the Case Western Reserve University Squire Valley View Farm, bee expert Richard Manley checks honey frames.
Manley said he likes what he sees, more bees than in recent years.
"There's evidence, there is scientific evidence, to prove that there are more bees this year, then there was last year as far as colonies,” Manley said.
Unlike aggressive yellow jackets or wasps, honey bees only sting if you get too close to their hives.
Another interesting fact about honeybees, they are the only insect that produces food for humans. Honey bees can also fly up to 15 mph.
