Bee-ing Thankful

President Obama just pardoned a couple of turkeys--Apple and Cider. They won't make it to the White House Thanksgiving dinner today.

But what he could have done--when he was pardoning the turkeys--was to praise the honey bees.

Without honey bees,  Thanksgiving Day dinner--as we know it--would not exist.

It's time to "bee" thankful.

If your table includes pumpkin, cranberries, carrots, cucumbers, onions, apples, oranges, cherries, blueberries, grapefruit, persimmons, pomegranates, pears, sunflower seeds, and almonds, thank the bees for their pollination services.

Spices? Thank the bees, too. Bees visit the plants that eventually comprise our spices, including sage, basil, oregano and thyme. 

Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology faculty, says that even milk and ice cream are linked closely to the honey bee. Cows feed on alfalfa, which is pollinated by honey bees (along with other bees).

So, pardon the turkeys? Well, at least "Apple" and "Cider." But let's praise the honey bees, too.

And pomegranates!