Honeybee Lunch & Learn

Honey Bees - the Hidden Heroes of Our Ecosystems

In a recent KnowBe4 lunch and learn event at our headquarters, we had the privilege of hosting the president and vice president of the Pinellas Beekeepers Association (PBA). The stars of the show? Bees – our planet’s tiny but mighty agricultural allies. We had about 50 KnowBe4 employees in attendance and at least that many questions! So many that the presenters were remarkably impressed with the enthusiasm and interest in the room.

During a session nourishing both body and mind, we learned that safeguarding bees goes beyond honey production; it is about maintaining biodiversity and the health of ecosystems that sustain us. We have adopted 13 hives from the PBA, and throughout the event, KnowBe4 employees also got to taste the honey from our adopted hives – sweet!

Here are just a few of the many little-known facts we learned from the talk:

• Honey bees actually have a second stomach, known as a honey sac or honey drop (adorable), where they store nectar and water until they return to the hive. They use their legs to collect pollen.
• Bees use tree sap and other resin to create propolis, which is used to build and repair their hive.
• Through their superior ingenuity, bees keep their hive between 95 and 98 degrees Fahrenheit both summer and winter, no matter the temperature outside.
• The queen bee lives 2 - 5 years, whereas the typical insect lives less than one year (for instance, worker bees live on average 15–38 days in the summer and 150–200 days in the winter).

Hive hierarchy is a marvel. The observation hive gave us a glimpse into the incredibly organized social structure of bees, showcasing how every bee plays a vital role in the survival of the hive. And KnowBe4 employees could not get enough of it!

By supporting local beekeepers and adopting bee-friendly practices, we take crucial steps toward a sustainable future. Implementing pollinator gardens or reducing pesticide use are actionable commitments we all can make.  If your company is interested in sponsoring hives or making a donation (and I hope it is!), please contact the PBA (https://pinellasbeekeepers.buzz/corporate-sponsorships/) or look for a beekeeper’s association in your area.

Let’s take a cue from the bees: tirelessly and effectively working together can yield the sweetest results for our environment. 🐝💚