Morgan Freeman, who once played god in Bruce Almighty, has converted his 124 acre ranch into a beekeeping farm. The bee sanctuary is Freemans effort to save the species, which is dwindling at an alarming rate. Freeman has expressed a passion for saving the bees from Colony Collapse Disorder, the diagnosed condition that’s causing massive death among bee populations around the world.
What Is Colony Collapse Disorder?
Colony Collapse Disorder is the name of the phenomenon that happens when worker bees die off before being able to return to their hives, leaving bee colonies unable to remain standing. This happens because the worker bees are considered the strongest in the colony. When they leave their hive for good or aren’t able to get back to their hive—usually because they’ve died—the rest of the bees in the colony are left to die of starvation without access to nutrition.
As the bees die off, they’re increasingly unable to pollinate crops and flowers. This poses a massive risk for humans. The growth of our food crop and other plant life is dependent on the bees’ ability to pollinate plants and flowers. Experts have estimated that as much as $14 billion of the U.S. food population comes from bees. Colony collapse disorder has caused bee colonies to die off at an alarming rate. So that could greatly impact our food supply should the bees die off forever.
Crops like cherries, various berry types, and corn are largely dependent on the spread of pollen from honey bees. Similarly, the honey industry is, obviously, 100% dependent on bee colonies to be able to stay afloat. Honey may not be considered vegan, but supporting the honey industry keeps beekepers able to protect colonies. This, in turn, helps keep the effects of colony collapse disorder at bay.
Morgan Freeman
At 81 years old, Oscar winning actor Morgan Freeman has decided to settle down and convert his 124-acre ranch in Mississippi into a beekeeping sanctuary. Freeman first mentioned his passion for saving the bees from colony collapse disorder back in 2014. Where he talked about the hobby during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Tonight. “What I’ve discovered is that I don’t have to put on a suit to feed the bees,” he said to Jimmy Kimmel. It’s probably because the bees know he’s god.
“We do not realize that they are the foundation, I think, of the growth of the planet, the vegetation…I have a lot of flowering things, and I have a gardener too,” said Freeman in an interview. “So we have got acres and acres of clover, and we have some planting stuff like lavender, I have got like, maybe 140 magnolia trees, big blossoms,” Freeman said.
Freeman’s 26 hives are imported from Arkansas. Planting flowers and plants that bees enjoy is the best way to support the creatures. That is, if you don’t want to support the harvesting of their honey. Without bees, flowers and crops can’t be pollinated properly. Other organisms that are harmful to plant life can thrive. Certain parasites and insects can survive better without bees.
