Declaring the City of Philadelphia to be a "Bee Friendly City" that supports all of our numerous bee species.

WHEREAS, Honeybees are effective pollinators of a large variety of plants, and are often used extensively for commercial pollination of crops and other plants; and

WHEREAS, Honeybees’ pollination of flowers are vital to the maintenance and improvement of Philadelphia’s vibrant ecological landscape; and

WHEREAS, Honeybees, compared to their peers, the wasp, hornet, and yellow-jacket, are a relatively docile species, and are not known for having an aggressive nature; and

WHEREAS, Spring is swarming season for honeybees, a time when large clusters of bees will leave their current hive to form a new one; and

WHEREAS, Despite the intimidating appearance of a swarm, honeybees generally do not pose a threat to the public when moving to a new hive; and

WHEREAS, Honeybees have succumbed to a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder, which caused a severe drop in the number of healthy honeybee colonies that can serve as pollinators; and

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Honey Festival is held annually to raise awareness about the importance of honeybees to our environment, our food supply and our economy, and to promote urban beekeeping and gardening; and

WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia is always proud to recognize those organizations which contribute to the well-being of our communities and ultimately to all the citizens of this great City;

now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Philadelphia,

Declares Philadelphia to be a “Bee Friendly City” that supports all of our numerous bee species.

End