Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1493649
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM 18 UCW MARCH 1 - 7, 2023 Spring brings a lot of buzz with honeybees. In the winter they cluster together to stay warm, and the worker bees vibrate their bodies to generate heat. e queen bee rests all warm and comfy with temperatures ranging from 90 to 100 degrees, not too bad for the royal treatment. e cluster has two parts which are a dense outer mantle and a loose inner core where the bees have more room to move around. e cluster expands or contracts depending on the temperature. Winter is the hardest season for the bees with the greatest loss and even the best beekeepers can encounter challenges to keep the colony alive. However, as in everything with nature, it is part of the cycle of survival. Winter survival depends mainly on food storage or if the colony enters the winter with a virus or disease. Once Spring begins to emerge and tempera- tures begin to rise above 65 degrees the days begin to lengthen sources of pollen and nectar emerge for the brood. As Spring progresses the colony expands with the pronation of young bees and field worker bees begin to collect the nectar and pollen to expand and nourish the colony. ere is a lot of activity in the colony as the queen increases drone egg-laying for the worker bees and drones while the bees prepare for a new queen. e royal kitchen is busy in the hive with a few bees that have been selected for the higher court and fed a special gland food called "Royal Jelly'" and the rate of development accelerates. e number of queen cells varies with races and strains as the new queen or queens emerge. e colonies are still busy as new combs are produced for honey storage. e royal court as- sembles for the new queen to emerge and before the nectar begins to flow the colony will swarm during the warmer hours of daylight while the old queen and her entourage fly to the limb of a tree and begin scouting for a new home to as- semble. e remaining bees are the parents of the colony and work the fields to collect nectar, pol- len and water plus they care for eggs, larvae and food and guard the entrance. e emerging drones receive nourishment for a population to mate with the queen. When she emerges, she has nourished herself because she has rivals for the queen position. Alas, mortal combat begins, and it becomes survival of the fittest. e queen that survives flies out about a week later to mate with one or more drones in the air. e males do not survive this intense ritual, but the queen returns to the nest as the queen mother and shortly begins to lay eggs while she is being cared for by nurse bees. Honey bee trivia ey can fly up to 15 miles per hour. A worker bee makes an average of 1 and ½ teaspoons in a lifetime and a pound of honey is made by two million flower visits. Honey bees are the only bee to produce food for humans. ey visit 50 to 100 flowers in one trip. Honey is a natural energy booster, a mixture of minerals, and antioxidants, is antibacterial and works in preventing fatigue, and can boost ath- letic performance. Honey bees do not typically sting unless threatened Live, love life and honey bees. What's the buzz about? by CYNTHIA ROSS FITNESS CYNTHIA ROSS, Personal Trainer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com 910-484-6200. BUSINESS & FINANCE How diversity benefits businesses a STAFF REPORT In recent years, many businesses have made a concerted effort to create more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. ose efforts have thus far met with mixed results. An analysis of more than 1,000 large firms in 15 countries conducted by McKinsey & Com- pany found that one-third significantly improved their diversity between 2015 and 2020. ough that's good news, it also means two- thirds did not improve significantly, which un- derscores how much more work must be done to create more diverse workplaces across the globe. Efforts to build more diverse workplaces may prove more successful if companies revisit the many reasons why the pursuit of such a goal is worthwhile. Diverse workplaces impress employees and prospective employees. A 2021 CNBC/Survey- Monkey survey found that 80% of workers want to work for companies that value diversity, equity and inclusion. Companies that gain a reputa- tion for such values may be more successful at retaining their existing employees, thus driving down costs associated with hiring and training new employees, and be in better position to at- tract qualified candidates who prioritize positive culture when looking for new opportunities. Diversity benefits the bottom line. e positive impact of diversity on the bottom line provides more motivation for businesses to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive. In a report released in May 2020, McKinsey & Company found that firms in the top quarter of gender diversity on executive teams were more likely to experience above-average profitability than peer firms in the bottom quarter. Firms in the top quarter of ethnic and cultural diversity also outperformed fourth quarter firms by 36% in regard to profitability. Such data supports the notion that investing in a more diverse workplace is a sound investment that's likely to produce a strong and quantifiable return. Multicultural diversity can facilitate expan- sion. Firms looking to expand into new overseas markets can benefit from a culturally diverse staff. Such staffs can provide invaluable insight and experience regarding local laws and regula- tions. Familiarity with overseas cultures, includ- ing local languages and cultural practices, also can help companies attract qualified local candi- dates and become competitive more quickly. A diverse staff can lead to a more diverse offering of products. It makes sense that a more diverse staff can contribute to a more diverse of- fering of products. A more diverse staff increases the likelihood that a company will have a wider range of skills at its disposal, and such a staff also provides companies with a more expansive range of perspectives reflective of a wider customer base. Companies can utilize such diversity when developing new products and adapting to ever- shifting markets. A more diverse workplace is a goal for many companies. Accomplishing such a goal can help companies in numerous ways, each of which can ultimately benefit the bottom line. Efforts to build more diverse workplaces may prove more success- ful if companies revisit the many reasons why the pursuit of such a goal is worthwhile. Honey is a natural energy booster, works in preventing fatigue and can boost athletic performance.