To date, eight different species of bees have been designated as endangered in the United States. The yellow and black buzzing insects are the world’s most important pollinators and help produce a third of our food supply and half of the world’s oils, fibers, and other raw materials.
Nonetheless, this essential component of our ecosystem is being decimated by pesticide use, habitat loss, and global climate change.
The apparent grim future of bees is not completely sealed, though. And one beekeeper named Bowser has proved this by taking to social media and educating the public about the commonly misunderstood insect.
Bowser began posting simple fun facts about bees back in October of 2020. Then, he started publicizing his personal hive and beekeeping routine– which the TikTok community began buzzing about.
Since then, Bowser has cultivated a following of over five hundred and sixty-five thousand people on TikTok and has received nearly twenty million collective likes on his videos.
The beekeeper has shared countless informational TikTok, including video series discussing the life cycle of bees, the purpose of the queen bee, and how to harvest honey from a hive.
And after so many people fell in love with his content, Bowser began offering his own extracted honey to the public through an online shop known as Bowser Bee Honey. There, followers have been able to purchase honey harvested every season, as well as beeswax lip balms.
The buzz that Bowser generated even sparked many people’s interest in beekeeping. So, he shared a helpful video detailing everything aspiring beekeepers must know before deciding to cultivate a hive.
TikTok; pictured above is Bowser in one of his videos
“First, you need to check your local beekeeping laws. You want to make sure that you can keep bees in your neighborhood, and some states require you to register your hive and pay a fee,” Bowser began.
Additionally, some states also require that a bee inspector checks on the health of your hives– so it is important to check local guidelines.
Next, Bowser suggests reading up on everything you need to know about the bees. He has recommended the book “Beginning Beekeeping: Everything You Need To Make Your Hive Thrive!” by Tanya Phillips. The Kindle version is offered on Amazon for just eleven dollars.
“It has everything from how to set up a hive to when to extract honey! It is very easy to read and comes with pictures,” Bowser added.
Finally, he suggests that anyone who aspires to care for a hive reaches out to local beekeeping experts. Oftentimes, communities are even home to local beekeeping associations which can offer classes, reputable supplier networks, and general guidance.
To learn more about beginning your beekeeping journey, you can visit Bowser’s full TikTok here. Or, to simply support and follow along with the TikToker himself, you can visit Bowser’s account linked here.
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