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5 ways to help save the bees
Honey bees are an important part of our ecological fabric, but their population is dwindling. See what you can do to help save the bees.
Wed, Oct 12 2011 at 12:35 PM
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Photo: MightyBoyBrian/flickr
Pollinators like bees are critical to our world’s food supply, and their numbers are dwindling. What can we do to help save the bees?
We rely on bees to pollinate over 30 percent of our food crops, but Colony Collapse Disorder threatens the world bee population and the future of our food supply. Plants like apples, avocados, squash, cucumbers, and many other food plants that we commonly eat need pollinators in order to grow.
Luckily, it’s not all gloom and doom! Here are some ways that you can take action right now to help the dwindling bee population.
- Don’t spray pesticides. Pesticides are a major culprit in Colony Collapse Disorder, and the best way to help bees is to stop spraying the stuff!
- Buy organic. Support organic farmers who use natural farming methods that are bee-friendly.
- Don’t support industrial honey. Large-scale honey operations are more focused on output and profit than with the health of the bees. If you’re going to eat honey, make sure it comes from a small operation. You can often find small beekeepers at your local farmers market, and they’ll tell you all about their beekeeping adventures!
- Plant a bee-friendly habitat. Pollinators need a place to pollinate, and by providing bee-friendly plants in your yard, porch, or window box, you give them a place to just be. Plants like fruit, herbs, melons, and even some trees can attract bees to your yard or garden.
- Get heard! If we’re going to help save the bees on a large scale, we need to let decision-makers know how we feel. Check out this petition aimed at the EPA calling for a ban on pesticides that harm bee populations.
This story originally appeared on Care2.com and is used here with permission. Visit Care2.com to discover more than 5,000 ways to enhance your life — from holistic health and wellness to pets and family life, the experts at Care2.com share great tips for living a healthier, happier and more sustainable lifestyle.
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I am currently a small stock bee keeper. This experience has brought us new friends, helped us convince others to be bee keepers, by our example, given us the best honey in the world, AND increased the fruit, nut, flower production of our garden, not to mention, probably, the rest of the neighborhood! It's easier than you think!!!
Bees love iceplant -- the one with the small red flowers for sure. Even though wild bees such as we have in the city are not likely to be raised by beekeepers, I figure whatever diversity can be maintained in the wild is bound to help with the many maladies domesticated bees are experiencing such as sudden hive collapse. All I have to do is plant and water now and again and I much prefer trimming back iceplant every couple of months to mowing a lawn regularly.