The 20th of May is World Bee Day. Here’s how bees add buzz to your cup.
We know that coffee is the bee’s knees; it brings joy and a buzz to our day. But it wouldn’t be possible without bees; here’s why.
Pollinators and Coffee Cultivation
Coffee, the beloved beverage that graces our mornings and fuels our days, owes its existence to the diligent work of pollinators like bees. Coffee plants flourish in warm climates, boasting delicate white flowers that captivate these buzzing creatures. As bees collect nectar from coffee flowers, they inadvertently transfer pollen from one bloom to another, enabling fertilisation and the development of coffee cherries.
While not all types of coffee need pollination by bees, in fact Arabica coffee plants can pollinate by wind, it’s interesting to note that coffee plantations with bees tend to have plants that bear more and heavier fruit. So even without the bee’s direct involvement, having them close by is good for the beans.
Recent studies have shown that without bees and birds, coffee farmers worldwide would see a potential drop in production of 40%; that’s a lot less coffee!
Dancing Bees
Young and free on the… ok, less singing and more facts. Bees are just like us; they love a coffee plant; with every coffee flower they pollinate, they get a tiny hit of caffeine. And it turns out that bees like us remember their favourite coffee flavour and return to that flower often. Studies on bees have shown that the caffeine hit makes the flowers more memorable, and the bees will keep returning to the flowers that give them a little buzz.
They will return and drop by the hive and “dance” in a little figure 8-type way to signal to the other bees that they’ve found some great caffeinated coffee flowers. Thereby drawing other bees to the same flowers and coffee bushes.
Guardians of Quality and Sustainability
Bees not only contribute to the creation of coffee but also serve as tiny winged guardians of quality and sustainability. A thriving bee population is essential for the long-term health of coffee farms. You can do your part to help the bee populations thrive by planting bee-friendly plants in our garden, going chemical free when gardening and setting up a bee bath if you live in a hot and dry place. Simply create a little pond of water that bees can take a dip in between buzzing from flower to flower.
Our Coffee is the Bee’s Knees
Next time you savour a cup of coffee from The Coffee Connection, take a moment to appreciate the delicate dance between bees and coffee plants that has brought a buzz of goodness to your cup. From our pure blends to flavoured beans, every cup contains a delicious, aromatic brew that wouldn’t be possible without the bees.
