Bee the change: How a young Samoan beekeeper is fighting to protect these precious pollinators
World Bee Day is a chance to recognise the tiny but mighty workers that keep our ecosystems thriving.
In Samoa, one young woman is doing her part to protect these buzzing heroes.
Three years ago, what started as a hobby for electrical engineer Luna-Rossa Lomitusi-Ape has grown into a thriving bee farm, where she now manages nine full beehives, two 'baby hives', and helps care for other hives in rural villages across Apia.
Initially, the 24-year-old told Nesia Daily she was torn between "bees or fashion" when deciding on a small business, but it was her father's advice that helped her choose: "it's better to choose the bees because at least you get the honey."
Luna-Rossa's trick to reducing the amount of times she gets stung by her bees is "inner peace" as bees will see you as a threat if you are feeling anxious or stressed. ( )
Apiaries like Luna-Rossa's are now part of a growing movement to protect Samoa's declining bee population — an issue that's becoming more prevalent with each season.
"We have really bad rain patterns now," the young beekeeper explained.
"This is the longest rainy season we've had. You make less honey because of course the honey is for the bees during times of shortage."
Alongside threats like habitat destruction and climate change, Luna-Rossa says bees in Samoa are often destroyed simply because people want to avoid getting bitten or stung - something she believes comes down to a "lack of awareness of the importance of bees."
As well as tending to her own bees, Luna-Rossa also removes them from residential properties. ( )
Despite the challenges, Luna-Rossa remains passionate about bees and the critical role they play in our food systems and environment.
If you want to foster a more bee-friendly environment, she suggests an easy way to start is by growing "pollinator-friendly plants in front of your houses, on your little balconies in the city, because bees are literally everywhere."
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