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BEEcause we Care.
RVC is on a mission to Save the Honeybees!

At RVC we believe that bees (specifically Honeybees) are crucial to the overall health of the planet. According to National Geographic, the hardworking honeybee pollinates 70 percent of the crops that contribute to the world’s food supply. One out of every three bites of food that you eat relies on the hard work from a honeybee. According to the USDA, Honeybees are responsible for over 3 Billion dollars in agricultural revenue in the United States each year.

“Our purpose is not only to do our part to save the honeybees, but it’s also to educate the general public.” Says Lloyd Lauland, President of RVC Outdoor Destinations. “I am proud of the initiative that our team has taken to ensure the livelihood of these extraordinary creatures.”

With all RVC Outdoor Destinations being located in very diverse ecosystems, we have brought hives to each of our resorts. When we enter into a partnership with honeybees, it is a win-win situation. We win by conserving the creatures that pollinate our plants and provide us with honey and other products. The bees win by getting protected haven for their colonies to raise their young and to be allowed to flourish!

Become an RVC BEEliever.

RVC contributes to bee conservation by; discovering and learning about the bees, educating our employees and guests, hiving bees at our resorts, partnering with local beekeepers, and determining what we can all do to make a difference for the bees. We challenge everyone to become a BEEliever!

#BEElieve

How to Become a BEEliever:

  1. Pass on the information we provide to school children, family, and friends. Hopefully, one day they’ll want to start their own hives.
  2. Join a local beekeepers Association
  3. Plant bee-friendly gardens and use organic growing methods.
  4. Purchase bee-friendly products like honey and beeswax candles
  5. Pesticides – choosing the right bee-friendly product and when to use it
  6. Donate to Bee Causes
  7. Buy local honey
  8. Choose organic foods
  9. Stay informed about Colony Collapse Disorder
  10. Join us in celebrating National Honeybee Day on August 15!
  11. Don’t kill a Bee – Stop, Bee calm & the Bee will move along

Facts about Honeybees:

  1. Bees have been kept for over 4500 years, going back to ancient times as cave paintings show.
  2. In ancient Egypt, honey was used as a sweetener for royalty. Honey was found in King Tut’s tomb that was over 3000 years old… and it was still edible.
  3. Worker Bees are always female are the only bees to have stingers. Drones are always male and only the Queen can reproduce.
  4. Honeybees are the only type of bee that dies after stinging.
  5. Honey contains healing resorts and has been used for centuries for healing sickness
  6. Each bee has 170 odorant receptors, This sense of smell is 50 times more powerful than a dog. They HATE the smell of human breath.
  7. A worker bee can carry a load of nectar or pollen equal to 80% of her own body weight.
  8. Though bees have jointed legs, they do not possess anything like a kneecap, and therefore do not have knees.
  9. Honey is 25% sweeter than table sugar. The darker the honey, the greater amount of antioxidant resorts it has.
  10. Honey is the only foodstuff that contains all of the necessary nutrients to sustain life.
  11. Bees are currently being used to study dementia. When a bee takes on a new job usually done by a younger bee, its brain stops aging!
  12. If you ever need to feed a bee. It is not advisable to use brown sugar as it is harder for bees to digest and don’t give bumblebees honey as this can contain pathogens that are harmful.
  13. The honeybee is the official insect of the state of Maine.
  14. Honey bees don’t sleep. Instead, they spend their nights motionless, conserving energy for the next day’s activities.
  15. Honeybees beat their wings 200 times per second, creating their trademark “buzz.”
  16. The average worker bee lives for just five to six weeks. During this time, she’ll produce around a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey.
  17. Worker honeybees live for about 4 weeks in the spring or summer but up to 6 months during the winter.
  18. Honey bees travel up to 3 miles away from the hive in search of nectar and pollen and will visit between 50 and 100 flowers during their trip.
  19. During the winter, some worker bees take on the job of “heater bees,” where they vibrate their bodies in order to keep the hive at the optimal temperature of 95ºF.
  20. Bees can’t see the color red. They do however see the ultraviolet color spectrum which many flowers produce and humans are unable to see.

BeeCause - Save the bees

Why Honey Bees are important to our planet

Honey Bees are directly responsible for up to 34% of our diet, that’s right, tasty things like Apples, Almonds, Pears, Raspberries, Strawberries as well as other plants and flowers that feed other creatures, are pollinated by Honey Bees!

According to some estimates, approximately 50% of all honey bees in North America are dying every year — a troubling statistic that is unsustainable for the bee population. At RVC Outdoor Destinations, we and others believe is evidence of a deeper ecological disturbance.

BeeCause RVC Cares - Save the Bees

Caring for a beehive isn’t for everyone.

The art of gardening is not just a form of relaxation. For every haven we create for bees, we make clear our stance on their importance and we designate ourselves as their allies. We become leaders that are creating a world that is nourishing to the very creatures that nourish us too. Gardening is no longer a hobby – it’s an entire movement.

Here is a list of flowers that are natural bee attractants:

Lead Plant (Fabaceae) – April to June
Lavender (Lamiaceae) – April to August
Phlox (Polemoniaceae) – April to August
Zinnias (Asteraceae) – April to August
Marigolds (Asteraceae) – April to August
Chives (Amaryllidaceae) – April to August
Mint (Lamiaceae) – April to August
Columbine (Ranunculaceae) – April to May
Bluebells (Asparagaceae) – April to May
Pansies (Violaceae) – April to October
Stiff Goldenrod (Asteraceae) – August to September
Snowdrops (Asparagales) – January to March
Liatris (Asteraceae) – July to August
Oregano (Lamiaceae) – July to October
Showy Goldenrod (Asteraceae) – July to September
Wild Bergamot (Lamiaceae) – July to September
Joe Pye weed (Asteraceae) – July to September
Yellow Giant Hyssop (Lamiaceae) – July to September
Butterfly-weed (Asclepiadaceae) – June to August
Common Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae) – June to August
Prairie Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae) – June to July
Coneflower (Asteraceae) – June to October
Lesser Calamint (Lamiaceae) – June to October
Black-eyed Susans (Asteraceae) – June to October
Borage (Boraginaceae) – June to October
Pussy Willow (Salicaceae) – March to April
Siberian Squill (Asparagaceae) – March to April
Peony (Paeoniaceae) – March to April
Sage (Lamiaceae) – March to October
Wild Lupine (Fabaceae) – May (Mid to Late)
Horsetail Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae) – May to August
Bee Balm (Lamiaceae) – May to August
White Wild Indigo (Fabaceae) – May to July
Great Blue Lobelia (Campanulaceae) – May to October
Partridge Pea (Fabaceae) – May to October
Hardy Ageratum (Asteraceae) – May to October
Nasturtium (Tropaeolaceae) – May to October
Thyme (Lamiaceae) – May to October
White Snakeroot (Asteraceae) – September to frost

Remember – Be careful of any chemicals or pesticides that you may use in your yard.

Other Bee Causes:

Bees - the Great Sunflower Project

Flow Hive Logo

Costco Logo

Bee Girl Logo

Burt's Bees

Smithsonian Institution Logo

DISCLAIMER:
Visiting the RVC Bee Flow Hive project could subject visitors to the possibility of a bee sting. Those that have experienced anaphylaxis or have known bee sting allergies that wish to view the project should proceed only if they are fully aware of their susceptibility and are equipped with appropriate Bee Sting medication or treatment.