Preserving Bees
Beyond the Sting:
Why Bees Are Truly Man’s Best Friend & What You Can Do to Help Them by Christy Erickson
You may have heard over the past few years that the bees are disappearing and you should be very worried about that - but why, you ask? When you think of bees you may think of buzzing, stinging, nuisances. Here is why this is wrong.
Bees and pollination
A lot of our food production relies on pollination - about one third, globally. Bees - especially honeybees - are the biggest contributor to this pollination (birds, insects, and bats help out too). Would we all starve without bees? That’s hard to say - but what is known is that global food production would greatly suffer if the bees disappear - and they are on the decline.
“Many domestic and imported fruits and vegetables require pollination. Examples include avocados, soybeans, asparagus, broccoli, celery, squash, and sunflowers for oil, cucumbers, citrus fruit, peaches, kiwis, cherries, cranberries and melons. For crops such as blueberries and almonds, the honey bee plays an essential role in pollination of commercial crops,” says SustainWeb.org.
And it’s not just these foods. Bees play a role in pollinating some things (like clover) that sustain other animals (that many of us eat, like cows), so bees’ importance stretches to the meat and dairy industry as well. Not only that, but bees are a major pollinator of cotton. Think about that the next time you take a trip to the mall to buy a new shirt.
“Worldwide, approximately 1,000 plants grown for food, beverages, fibers, spices, and medicines need to be pollinated by animals in order to produce the goods on which we depend,” notes the USDA. Beyond what we wear and consume, we owe a lot of our biodiversity to bees and other pollinators. The more diverse and active a pollinator community is, the more diverse and expansive the flora will be in that region. All of those beautiful spring and summer flowers you love to look at every year depend, in large part, on bees.
So the bees are disappearing - what can I do?
A lot, actually. The bees are in danger due to a combination of mostly human actions including climate change, habitat destruction, and the heavy use of pesticides in agriculture. The threats are real and the consequences are serious. If you want to help out on a personal level, there are plenty of steps you can take.
First, if you’re up for a rewarding, eco-friendly challenge, become a backyard beekeeper. HomeAdvisor.com provides a helpful rundown of the tools you’ll need to get started.
If beekeeping feels like too much of an undertaking, you can help the bees by making some changes in how you care for your yard. Some quick tips for this include laying off the herbicides and pesticides in your home garden. These harm bees on an individual basis, and can harm entire colonies as well. Leave some areas of your backyard unkempt, as this can provide a good home for bee nesting/burrowing. Build a bee bath - a shallow water pit with landing stones - to provide water for thirsty bees.
If you don’t have room for a giant bee garden, take some steps in your purchasing habits to help the situation. Support organic clothing and food, as these farmers are producing these products in a pesticide-free manner. Buy local honey instead of mass-market honey. Small, local beekeepers are more likely to be practicing better beekeeping (despite a hit to profit). Write your congressmen and women and let them know that pesticide use in agriculture is an important issue to you. Make sure those in elected power are doing what they can to turn back the tide of bee colony collapse.
The bottom line is that bees are one of man’s best friends. Not only are the myths about aggressive, sting-prone bees a myth, but the benefits bees provide humans on both a local and global scale are impossible to overstate.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
Bees and pollination
A lot of our food production relies on pollination - about one third, globally. Bees - especially honeybees - are the biggest contributor to this pollination (birds, insects, and bats help out too). Would we all starve without bees? That’s hard to say - but what is known is that global food production would greatly suffer if the bees disappear - and they are on the decline.
“Many domestic and imported fruits and vegetables require pollination. Examples include avocados, soybeans, asparagus, broccoli, celery, squash, and sunflowers for oil, cucumbers, citrus fruit, peaches, kiwis, cherries, cranberries and melons. For crops such as blueberries and almonds, the honey bee plays an essential role in pollination of commercial crops,” says SustainWeb.org.
And it’s not just these foods. Bees play a role in pollinating some things (like clover) that sustain other animals (that many of us eat, like cows), so bees’ importance stretches to the meat and dairy industry as well. Not only that, but bees are a major pollinator of cotton. Think about that the next time you take a trip to the mall to buy a new shirt.
“Worldwide, approximately 1,000 plants grown for food, beverages, fibers, spices, and medicines need to be pollinated by animals in order to produce the goods on which we depend,” notes the USDA. Beyond what we wear and consume, we owe a lot of our biodiversity to bees and other pollinators. The more diverse and active a pollinator community is, the more diverse and expansive the flora will be in that region. All of those beautiful spring and summer flowers you love to look at every year depend, in large part, on bees.
So the bees are disappearing - what can I do?
A lot, actually. The bees are in danger due to a combination of mostly human actions including climate change, habitat destruction, and the heavy use of pesticides in agriculture. The threats are real and the consequences are serious. If you want to help out on a personal level, there are plenty of steps you can take.
First, if you’re up for a rewarding, eco-friendly challenge, become a backyard beekeeper. HomeAdvisor.com provides a helpful rundown of the tools you’ll need to get started.
If beekeeping feels like too much of an undertaking, you can help the bees by making some changes in how you care for your yard. Some quick tips for this include laying off the herbicides and pesticides in your home garden. These harm bees on an individual basis, and can harm entire colonies as well. Leave some areas of your backyard unkempt, as this can provide a good home for bee nesting/burrowing. Build a bee bath - a shallow water pit with landing stones - to provide water for thirsty bees.
If you don’t have room for a giant bee garden, take some steps in your purchasing habits to help the situation. Support organic clothing and food, as these farmers are producing these products in a pesticide-free manner. Buy local honey instead of mass-market honey. Small, local beekeepers are more likely to be practicing better beekeeping (despite a hit to profit). Write your congressmen and women and let them know that pesticide use in agriculture is an important issue to you. Make sure those in elected power are doing what they can to turn back the tide of bee colony collapse.
The bottom line is that bees are one of man’s best friends. Not only are the myths about aggressive, sting-prone bees a myth, but the benefits bees provide humans on both a local and global scale are impossible to overstate.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
Ways to Help the Bees During the Fall by Christy Erickson
With the bee population declining at an alarming rate, there are some things that you can do this fall to help your local bees. Planting pollinator flowers will help bees recover from summer nectar dearth and ensure they stick around for when you need them. There are also steps you can take to help bees nest.
Planting Flowers for Pollinators
When there aren’t enough flowers for bees to pollinate, the hive must deal with a nectar dearth. This shortage causes competition between different colonies. Stronger ones will rob weaker ones of their stores and even kill the queen. Insufficient stores also mean famine in the winter months. Whether you’re a beekeeper yourself or you simply wish to help the struggling species, planting fall-blooming flowers can help prevent catastrophes among colonies. Below is a guide to some of the best ones for attracting bees.
Helping Bees Nest
One great way to help the bee population is to improve their nesting habitats. Almost 70% of North American bees nest underground. These types of bees are attracted to exposed soil. If you have any bare spots on your lawn, leave them alone. If you don’t have any of these spots, consider clearing a few spots. And try to vary the locations of these clearings. Some species of bees prefer flatter ground, while others prefer sloped surfaces.
Not all bees nest underground. Some bee species prefer to nest in wood. You can help by placing some logs or old tree stumps in your yard. Drill a few holes into the wood. These holes should be 1/4 inch in diameter and 3-4 inches deep. It’s important that you place the logs or stumps in the right location. Nests should be placed in sunny areas, but take care to shelter them from the worst weather.
Bee populations are in decline. While doing your fall cleaning, there are a few simple steps you can take to help ensure their survival. Make sure to plant flowers that bloom in the fall and to improve the bees’ nesting habitats on your property.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
With the bee population declining at an alarming rate, there are some things that you can do this fall to help your local bees. Planting pollinator flowers will help bees recover from summer nectar dearth and ensure they stick around for when you need them. There are also steps you can take to help bees nest.
Planting Flowers for Pollinators
When there aren’t enough flowers for bees to pollinate, the hive must deal with a nectar dearth. This shortage causes competition between different colonies. Stronger ones will rob weaker ones of their stores and even kill the queen. Insufficient stores also mean famine in the winter months. Whether you’re a beekeeper yourself or you simply wish to help the struggling species, planting fall-blooming flowers can help prevent catastrophes among colonies. Below is a guide to some of the best ones for attracting bees.
- Purple Aster - Purple asters have beautiful radial blooms that are perfect for bees. They grow about two to three feet in height and can thrive in both sun and partial shade. They also tend to do well as potted plants, so they are a good choice for those that live in apartments or homes with small yards. There are various species of purple aster that are native to the different regions of North America, and they often grow alongside goldenrod, another fall-blooming flower.
- Goldenrod - Speaking of goldenrod, this dusty yellow flower also thrives in autumn and is perfect for bees. The type of goldenrod you plant should correlate with where you live, but there are plenty of varieties to choose from. Best of all, goldenrod is extremely hard to kill and does well even in droughts. Try planting a mix of purple asters and goldenrod along the perimeter of your home for a gorgeous purple and yellow mix.
- Autumn Joy Sedum - Okay, this one feels a bit obvious, but the beautiful red buds of autumn joy sedum are too good to resist. The tiny red blossoms grow in groups that can be as large as four inches. The blooms last throughout the season and grow darker into a rust-like color as winter approaches. This flower does well as a potted plant and is easily propagated so you can pass a little autumn joy to your friends and family.
Helping Bees Nest
One great way to help the bee population is to improve their nesting habitats. Almost 70% of North American bees nest underground. These types of bees are attracted to exposed soil. If you have any bare spots on your lawn, leave them alone. If you don’t have any of these spots, consider clearing a few spots. And try to vary the locations of these clearings. Some species of bees prefer flatter ground, while others prefer sloped surfaces.
Not all bees nest underground. Some bee species prefer to nest in wood. You can help by placing some logs or old tree stumps in your yard. Drill a few holes into the wood. These holes should be 1/4 inch in diameter and 3-4 inches deep. It’s important that you place the logs or stumps in the right location. Nests should be placed in sunny areas, but take care to shelter them from the worst weather.
Bee populations are in decline. While doing your fall cleaning, there are a few simple steps you can take to help ensure their survival. Make sure to plant flowers that bloom in the fall and to improve the bees’ nesting habitats on your property.
Photo Credit: Pixabay