Our ecosystems can’t exist without them and more than 80 per cent of all crops grown for human consumption rely on them.

The humble honeybee may be small in stature but the weight of the world is carried on their little wings.

Here’s top five reasons to start beekeeping in your backyard.

1. Bee numbers are in decline

Largely due to pesticides and habitat loss, bee numbers are declining at a rapid rate across the globe. While Australia is yet to be affected by Colony Collapse Disorder, which leaves bees abandoning their hives to die, the US has seen a 60 per cent reduction in honeybees. If we don’t do something, Australian bees will face a similar fate and if we succeed in wiping out the bees, we won’t be far behind.  Help a bee out, start keeping bees.

You can read more about the sad decline in bee colonies here: ABC Gardening - Bees

2. Bees make honey, honey is good for you

Nature’s natural sweetener, honey is a healthier alternative to sugar.

Homegrown honey is about as pure as it gets and unlike some commercial products, it isn’t heat treated, meaning its nutritional profile isn’t compromised.

Need another excuse to sip on Mother Nature’s liquid gold, check this out: Health Benefits of Honey

3. We love flowers, flowers love bees

Want a garden full of blooms this spring? It’s not going to happen without a healthy colony of bees. Bees are good for flowering plants and fruit trees. Position a hive in your backyard and reap the rewards.

Explore more on the ins and outs of pollination here: Bee pollination 

4. Purify the air with beeswax candles

Beeswax candles emit negative ions into the atmosphere that bind with toxins and help remove them from the air. Making beeswax to make candles is a lovely way to pass the time and you know exactly what you are putting into the air you breathe.  

5. It’s a rewarding hobby

The initial set up cost will set you back a few hundred dollars, but once you get started there are very little additional costs involved.  Unlike other hobbies, beekeeping doesn’t take much time yet you’re benefiting the environment and reaping delicious rewards.

For more information on backyard beekeeping check out the Department of Primary Industries’ Prime Facts