It’s officially summer, and that means bees. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, bees are simply a necessity of nature. Think about a world without bees and then include all the fresh fruit and vegetables you love which would no longer exist. Take the next step and think about the animals that eat vegetation which are a part of our food stream. Scary right?
In the process of garnering pollen to feed their larva, bees cross-pollinate plants with the bits of pollen that fall off of them on their way back to their nests. We rely on honey bees for one-third of our food supply, so when honey bees are in danger, we’re all in danger.
Over the last three years, one in three bee hives have died. The main cause of the problem is known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a disease where bees are mysteriously deserting their hives and dying. Scientists have been baffled by the disease but believe that the cause may include viruses, mites, chemical exposure and poor nutrition.
Everyone needs to take notice of the bee’s plight and pitch in to help regain the bee population and ensure our food supply for centuries to come. Hagen Dazs, the ice cream company, is working to raise the buzz about this bee problem through education and a new ice cream flavor devoted to the bees. Each time you purchase a pint of the Vanilla Honey flavor found in your grocery store, you help fund bee research which hopefully will identify a true cause and solution for our tiny buzzing friends.
It may be the middle of summer, but you can still contribute to helping the bees by planning flowering plants which attract and feed bees. Consider what plants are native to your area. If you aren’t sure, contact your local botanical gardens or even your state department of conservation for a botanist or entomologist who can help. For more instructions on how to create check out the Xerces Society for more information.
If you are lucky enough to know where a bee hive resides around your home or local community, don’t smoke it out – protect it! In order to learn more about bees and help in conservation efforts, we are all being asked to speak up and fill out a survey about our local bee hives. If you know of a local bee hive, take a few minutes and help a bee out by filling out this survey.
Bees may have a bad rap, but attracting them doesn’t have to mean having swarms of bees in your yard. Just like we learned from the Bee Movie, bees tend to take stinging pretty seriously since they perish after stinging. So once you bring them to your yard, you can live harmoniously together by being conscious of them, but leaving them to their business and staying out of their way. They won’t bother you if you don’t bother them.
Ultimately, bees’ survival will depend upon us. With the ever increasing use of pesticides, genetically modified crops which kill bees, and continually reduced amounts of flowering plants for bees to visit, their livelihoods and lives are at risk. Consider the bees when you make your produce purchases and buy organic and pesticide free!
