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News Release Distributed 04/30/08
BOSSIER CITY – Bees are the angels of agriculture, said honey producer Bill Walker at the LSU AgCenter Lunch and Ag Discovery held April 22 at the Red River Research Station.
Bud Evans co-presented “Bees ’n’ Honey” and brought a demonstration hive for the 56 people in attendance.
Bees are used to pollinate tomatoes in the greenhouses at the station, said Dr. Hanna Hanna, who presented the inaugural Lunch and Ag Discovery in October. In fact, Hanna has called bumblebee pollination, raised gutters and grafting the three major innovations in growing tomatoes the past 20 years.
Walker said one-third of all food consumed is through insect pollination.
Honey comes in many different flavors and colors, he said. The color depends on what blossoms the bees visited to collect nectar.
Walker said worker bees cooperate to find food and use a pattern of "dancing" to communicate with each other. Honey bees are known to communicate through many different chemicals and odors.
“Honey bees were brought over here by the Pilgrims,” said Walker. “They got beeswax from the honeycomb for candles.”
Whereas the mosquito bites for a meal, a bee stings as a defense mechanism, said Walker. “Many people die from bee stings.”
The stinger looks like a fish hook, he said. “She leaves her stinger in you and dismembers herself.”
Walker said he and Evans strain their honey. “It comes unaltered.” Honey packing companies filter their honey, he explained.
He said honey will granulate over time, but can be warmed to 140 degrees to dissolve the crystals.
Honey recipes from LSU AgCenter agents were distributed at the end of the program.
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Contact: Dr. Hanna Y. Hanna at (318) 741-7430, or hhanna@agcenter.lsu.edu
Writer: Mary Ann Van Osdell at (318) 741-7430, ext. 1104, or mvanosdell@agcenter.lsu.edu