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What’s all the<br />
BUZZZZ<br />
David Hayes opens the first layer of one of his honeybee<br />
hives in Clinton County. The valuable work of the bees<br />
goes beyond producing honey. They and other pollinators<br />
are crucial to agriculture and the food system.<br />
EASTERN IOWA FARMER PHOTO / JACKIE MILLER<br />
Study finds bees<br />
can increase yields<br />
for self-pollinating<br />
soybeans, while prairie<br />
strips can help attract<br />
them to crops<br />
BY MEGAN CLARK<br />
EASTERN IOWA FARMER<br />
As Clinton County beekeeper<br />
David Hayes uncovered the<br />
first layer of one of his honeybee<br />
hives on a summer day,<br />
he revealed a frame full of brood that his<br />
bees had been working on for months.<br />
A brood is where the new eggs are<br />
laid, along with the developing larva. The<br />
brood these bees were creating is pivotal<br />
for their reproduction cycles and ensures<br />
the colony will continue.<br />
Hayes showed off other frames, unveiling<br />
the hard work his bees completed every<br />
day, which goes far beyond producing<br />
honey.<br />
Pollinators such as honeybees, butterflies,<br />
and moths are crucial to agriculture<br />
and the food system. They play a necessary<br />
role in flower and crop production<br />
because they make plant reproduction<br />
possible. They are crucial for such fruit<br />
eifarmer.com FALL 2022 | EASTERN IOWA FARMER 85
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