Did You Know That Illinois Is One of the Best States in America for Beekeeping?

I feel like beekeeping has become more popular over the past few years. I used to not know anyone who kept bees and made their own honey - nowadays I know several folks who do. That's a good thing, though, because I also continue to hear about how important, and how endangered, honey bees are. Even if you're not a fan of honey, the job these bees do (pollination) is a crucial component of the food industry. According to the USDA, "Honeybees pollinate $15 billion worth of crops in the United States each year, including more than 130 types of fruits, nuts, and vegetables."

Saturday, May 20th is World Bee Day, and to celebrate, Lawn Love put together a ranking of the best and worst states to be a beekeeper based on data compiled in four categories - honey production, colony loss, and apiculture (beekeeping) classes.

Bees Love Illinois, Apparently

According to this report, Illinois is one of the best states in America for beekeeping, ranking 10th overall on the list. The Land of Lincoln is at the very top of the list, however, when it comes to earning potential.

Here's a fun fact about Utah - it is known as the "Beehive State" and the official state insect is the honeybee. But Utah is nowhere near the top of this list - in fact, Utah is all the way down at #37. See the rest of the top 10 below and see the full beekeeping report here.

1. California
2. New York
3.  North Dakota
4. Texas
5. Ohio
6. Pennsylvania
7. Florida
8. North Carolina
9. Virginia

I Want to Help, But I Don't Want to Keep Bees

We have established how important honeybees are to all of us, and I think we all can agree that bees need to be protected, but that does not mean that we all need to go buy a bee suit. There are things every homeowner can do to help the honeybee population. LawnLove suggests taking these steps...

• Replace your grass with clover
• Plant native plants
• Use organic pest control methods
• Design a bee-friendly landscape