Are you interested in keeping bees? Well, it’s time to take notes from Morgan Freeman because the 83-year-old actor, film director, and philanthropist began a new hobby, and it includes a lot of bees – 26 beehives to be exact [1]. We first heard of Freeman’s interest in beekeeping which started all the way back in 2014 when he starred on an episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. On the show, he spoke about his newfound interest in bee-keeping and discussed the severity of our environmental climate [1].
We Need Bees!
“There is a concerted effort for bringing bees back onto the planet…We do not realize that they are the foundation, I think, of the growth of the planet, the vegetation…” Morgan Freeman shares [2]. When Freeman was on the show, he had been a beekeeper for just two weeks at the time but had already grown such respect for bees. In fact, although he needed to be near the bees to feed them, he refuses to wear a bee-keeping suit. And to Morgan Freeman’s credit, he claims to have never been stung by one of the bees at this point [2].
Morgan Freeman has a Massive Ranch for His Bees
Freeman has found peace in tranquility in beekeeping, and with his interest in these creatures continuing to grow, so does the space for them at his ranch. Actually, Freeman decided to devote his entire 124-acre ranch in Mississippi when he transformed it into a bee sanctuary. Freeman imported 26 beehives to Mississippi. He’s bee-keeping regime consists of feeding them with a water and sugar mix and planting bee-friendly trees such as magnolia, lavender, and clover trees.
You may be thinking, ‘now that’s a lot of honey Morgan Freemans about to have.’ And you’d be right if he were to harvest them, but Freeman has no intention of harvesting any one of his 26 beehives. His interest in them is purely for the foundational benefits they bring to our planet as a species.
4 Ways bees are essential to our planet and Why You Should Bee More Like Morgan Freeman
1. Pollination
Do you love peaches, broccoli, blueberries, and avocados? These fruits require pollination. In fact, up to a third of the food that the average person consumes requires some pollination. So, think about that for a second, if we had no bees (or a significantly lower number of bees), one-third of the food that we regularly consume would vanish [3].
2. Food for Animals and Humans
Not only do bees pollinate the food that we generally eat, but they also pollinate the wild plants that animals tend to eat. Some of these plants include different berry crops, seeds, nuts, and fruit. So if you don’t really care about bees or their impact, think about the animals and humankind! [4].
3. They act as a food source for other creatures
Not only do bees pollution produce food for both humans and animals, but they themselves are also part of the food chain. There are around 24 different species that are known to prey on bees as a source of food. Some of these species include spiders and insets, dragonflies, praying mantises, blackbird, ruby-throated hummingbird, and starling.
In the winter, bees produce honey so that they can feed their colonies in harsh weather conditions. Not surprisingly, honey isn’t only enjoyed by humans either – birds, raccoons, opossums, and insects are all creatures that know bees make a sweet snack that’s worth seeking out [4].
4. Biodiversity
Everything on our planet is interconnected, including the ecosystem. Bees are valuable and play an essential role in maintaining the health of the planet. Their role in pollination isn’t just for our crops; they support the growths of wild plants, trees, and flowers [4].
The actions and intent of Morgan Freeman are telling us one thing – bees are a fundamentally important part of earth’s ecosystem. Although you may choose to walk the other way (running and screaming works too), we should try to preserve their lives because they are so much more than a single bee – they are part of the foundation that sustains us as human beings.
Keep Reading: Jimmy Carter built a solar farm in his hometown and it now powers half of the entire city
References
- “Morgan Freeman Turns His Ranch into a Honey Bee Sanctuary.” My Modern Met. Margherita Cole. October 30, 2019.
- “Morgan Freeman Is a Beekeeper Now.” Youtube. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. July 25, 2014.
- “Why bees are important.” Sustain.
- “5 Ways Bees are Important to the Environment.” Pthomeand Garden.