This summer, two modest homes will be built adjacent to the White House. Their occupants, thousands in number, have been given no official title or position under the Obama Administration to date. But they do have a very clear purpose: to pollinate the new White House garden, produce copious amounts of honey, help educate Americans about the importance of backyard beekeeping, and raise awareness about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). "The inclusion of two beehives in the White House garden sends a powerful message about the importance of bees to our food supply," says Karen Wasmer, a member of the Northeast Florida Honeybee Association.
President Obama's backyard is not the only landscape abuzz with bees. Growing concern over CCD and an increasing interest in urban gardening have led many Americans to welcome native pollinators and honeybees into our cityscapes. Protecting local-food security has never tasted so sweet.
--Melissa Weiss
