Millennial Brewing Company hosts World Honey Bee Day event

Millennial Brewing Company hosted its World Honey Bee Day event in Downtown Fort Myers on Saturday.

World Honey Bee Day is held annually on the third Saturday of August.

The first World Honey Bee Day was held in 2009. The goal of the event is to raise awareness about the safety of bees and to promote beekeeping.

Local vendors competed in contests showcasing their best honey.

Guests voted on their favorite honey.

Max Goodacre judged all 16 honey samples. He said that taste isn’t the most important quality when judging honey.

“Mostly judged on the aesthetics and cleanliness of the container, the honey and the presentation,” said Goodacre.

There were vendors from Southwest Florida and from as far out as Fort Lauderdale.

The family event was full of entertainment. Heather Graves is the Head Coordinator of the World Honey Bee Day event and said anyone can enjoy the event.

“It’s for vendors, for everybody. It’s not just beekeeping stuff. It’s for everybody, candy, cakes, bread.”

The event was for everybody. It was also to raise awareness for Honey bees.

Angela Bartholomew is the president of the Beekeepers Association of Southwest Florida and said that you probably depend on bees more than you think.

“30% of the food that we eat actually comes and is produced partially by the honey bees,” said Bartholomew. “Even if you are a meat eater, a lot of what your meat eats has to do and depend on the honey bees.”

“I see them in dumpsters and eating soda and candy because that’s the only carbohydrate they can find,” said Bartholomew. “Of course, the pesticides, that slowly chips away at the Honeybee health and so exposure to those over a long period of time damages them and actually kills the bees. So we try to things that support them, that feed them, that give them the good nutrients.”

To learn more about the Beekeepers Association of Southwest Florida and how you can help click the link below.

Beekeepers Association of Southwest Florida Website