A growing concern throughout the world is the gradual decline in the bee populations. The decline has been increasing more and more over time and this concern has become more prominent.
Reports released last summer indicating that bee populations have declined by forty percent is a worrying trend.
Although these winged creatures are small, the role that they play in our environment is crucial for not only other animals but humans as well.
Without bees on the earth, the majority of plants would not be able to pollinate one another, causing entire species of plants to die off. No longer have these plants around would leave both humans and animals lacking vital food sources, and as time progresses these problems would only continue to grow, ultimately launching the beginning of a worldwide food shortage.
As a result of this information, many have begun to look for ways that they can help aid the struggling species. For those looking to do their part, there are many ways in which they can help.
Build a Bee Bath
A bee bath, not to be confused with much deeper birdbaths, are shallow dishes that contain clean water. Having one of these located in your garden or yard provides a place for the bees to get a drink so that they do not die of thirst.
They are also relatively easy and do not take up much room, making them ideal for even the smallest of yards. In order to make one of these, all you need is a shallow dish, rocks, and a flower pot (or anything else you wish to use as a base). Placing the pot upside down you then put the dish on top and fill it with the rocks. These rocks will act as a perch for the bees so that they do not accidentally fall into the water and drown.
Then all you need to do is pour a small of water into the dish and your bees will have plenty of water to drink whenever they are thirsty. It is important to mention that you must change the water daily, otherwise bacteria that is harmful to the bees will begin to grow on the surface, possibly making them sick.
Choosing The Right Plants
Something else you can do is make sure that your garden has various types of plants that are beneficial to bees. Many people choose and plant flowers solely for the appearance but do not realize that the more extravagant flowers often offer less pollen for bees.
For example, Marigolds are flowers that are both beautiful and offer a healthy amount of pollen due to the fact that their more open tops make it easy for the bee to access the pollen. French Lilac, however, offers bees very little pollen because their double-topped nature makes it difficult for the bee to gather the pollen that it needs.
Using Organic Pesticides
What many people do not realize when looking for ways to protect their gardens from pests is that store-bought pesticides contain chemicals that are not only harmful to things such as locusts but to pollinators as well.
Many avid gardeners recommend going the organic route with pesticides, and even then only using them for larger infestations. You must be careful, however, because while many pesticides carry an organic label they can still be harmful to bees so you have to carefully read the ingredients list to make sure that each component will not harm them.
In cases where you have only a few pests here and there, it is recommended that you skip the pesticides altogether and instead remove them by either plucking them off or blasting them off with some water.
Build a Bee Habitat
Although many people do not like the idea of having a large number of bees in their yard, because of their ability to sting you, others have found that building a bee habitat in their yard not only helped protect the species but also brightened up their garden a bit.
Bee habitats are made by taking planks of wood and hammering them together so that they form a shape similar to a box with no top or base. Once this is done you take small logs and drill large holes into them before inserting them one on top of the other into the box that you had created.
The bees will then use these logs as nesting grounds where they will have a safe place to reproduce and lay their eggs without the risk of it being destroyed.
Support Local Bee Keepers
If you live in an area where you have the ability to, you should always buy honey straight from a beekeeper as opposed to buying large well-known brands that are found in a grocery store.
This is because often the practices used by these large name companies are inhumane and result in the death of many of the bees, largely due to the fact that they are more concerned about their bottom line then the well being of these creatures.
One such instance where this happens is when the companies will want to prevent the queen bee from trying to leave the nest so that she can continue to lay more eggs and in doing this will tear off her wings so that she cannot fly away.
While buying directly from a beekeeper may not be an option for those living in larger cities you can still do your part by researching the company that you do buy from. [more]
LET’S SHARE TO SAVE THE BEES! THANK YOU 🙂
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