In my last post, I talked about the bee population's steady decline in the past few years, and the possible effects it could have on our livelihoods. We have seen what can happen if we don't take better care of the bees. So, now that we have the problem and its causes fully established, it's time to start discussing some solutions. And, like many of the problems that the environment faces today, a small change or contribution from each of us can go a very long way. So, without further ado, let's jump right in to what we as individuals can do to help save the bees, and create a better future for humanity.
Start your own garden
Let's start off with one of the best things you can do to help, and that's starting your own garden. Now, normally when I talk to people about starting a garden, I commonly hear "I don't have the time," or "It's too difficult." Personally, I think both these statements are false. Having started my own garden this past year, I have only had to put in about 5 or 10 minutes of my time each day, and most of the work is menial for beginners. So, not only is it easier than most think, but it really helps bees. A garden gives them food through pollen, and in most cases a peaceful place to rest. At the rate bee's habitats are decreasing, its the least we can do to give them more places to stay.
Plant bee-friendly flowers
If starting a garden is too much to start out with, or you don't have the space to do so, planting flowers around your home also helps to attract and re-populate bees. Again, similar to a garden, the flowers give pollen to the bees. giving them a reliable food source which in recent years has been hard to come by. However there are certain types of flowers that are better for bees, so before you go planting you should check out which ones are best by clicking here.
Let weeds grow!
While weeds are most commonly thought of as a scourge to good lawns, letting them have a little freedom can be highly beneficial to bees. Wildflowers like Dandelions account for a large part of a bees diet, so cutting them down before they bloom can have a negative effect. If you still want your lawn to be free of weeds, wait until after they have bloomed, then you can cut them before they produce seeds.
Don't use pesticides in your lawn
I talked about this a little bit in a previous post, but using pesticides in your lawn creates a really bad environment for bees. Yes, the pesticides may make your lawn look a little bit nicer, but they also end up killing off many helpful plants and even bees. If you absolutely HAVE to use pesticides, for reasons other than aesthetics, I highly suggest using a natural pesticide like neem oil, one that does not have any effect on bees (if created at home).
Put a dish of water outside your house
This one may seem a bit strange, but putting a bowl full of water outside your house can really help nearby bees! Many bees have trouble finding enough water to sustain their diets, so providing a little extra water that is easy to access really helps them to stay healthy. This way to help is simple and effective. It helps especially if you have a garden nearby, or other plants that may attract bees. Additionally, a bird bath has the same effect as a regular bowl of water, so you can use one of those too.
Leave open patches of soil
This one is also really easy to do. In fact, it's easier to do this then to not do it. Many bees are solitary, and towards the end of their life like to dig into the ground, building nests to raise their young in. So, it helps them a lot to leave areas of soil open, as this will make it easier for them to find a place to burrow in. Instead of taking the time and effort to put mulch or grass seed in a certain area, just leave it bare! It takes much less effort, and the bees will be very thankful.
Get involved with organizations
If you're looking to do something outside of your own home, there are plenty of organizations that are actively looking to protect bee populations. You can either choose to donate your time or money (either one helps) and you can be sure that either will go towards helping the bees. Some of the most notable organizations (which I found on National Geographic. Make sure to check out their article here) are: The Pollinator Partnership, The Honeybee Health Coalition, and Bumble Bee Watch. There are a few more organizations that are also doing great work. To see the rest, visit the National Geographic article I just talked about by clicking here. It gives a lot of great information, and is certainly worth a read through.
Talk to others
Finally, the last thing you can do to help the bees is by talking to others. Let them know of the bee's struggle, and maybe even some things they can do to help. It goes without saying that with the more people taking part in these solutions, the quicker they will take place and the more effective they will be. If we want to truly help the bees, it is important that we not only implement these solutions into our lifestyles, but tell others of them as well, so we can all begin to build a better society for the bees to live in.
Conclusion
So, there are tons of different ways that we can help the bees, and all of them are fairly easy. By implementing these solutions into our daily lives, we can help to ensure that bees never face a struggle quite like the one they are facing today. I hope that in the future we can be more conscious of the effect we have on the environment, even on the creatures we may not see. Anyway, this post would not have been possible without the information provided from the links below. I highly, highly suggest you check them out, as they all provide more detailed information on helping bees that I was not able to talk about in this post. Anyways, thanks for reading.
All credit for information used in this post goes to:
http://www.queenofthesun.com/get-involved/10-things-you-can-do-to-help-bees/
http://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/plant-a-bee-garden/
http://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/2017/03/27/21-flowers-that-attract-bees/
http://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/act-today/what-you-can-do/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150524-bees-pollinators-animals-science-gardens-plants/
http://xerces.org/bumble-bee-watch/
http://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/
Images:
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2017/05/08/ten-years-after-crisis-what-happening-our-bees
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/honeybee-crisis-linked-to-pesticide-neonicotinoid/
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/small-vegetable-gardens/
https://pixabay.com/en/photos/lavender%20flowers/
https://www.almanac.com/content/common-garden-weeds
http://flexiblepestsolutions.com/
http://www.duncraft.com/Zanesville-Bird-Bath-Cobalt-Blue
https://www.todayshomeowner.com/top-dressing-to-improve-the-soil-in-your-lawn/
http://www.abfnet.org/general/custom.asp?page=391
https://www.quora.com/I-am-not-good-at-talking-to-others-What-can-I-do
https://www.takepart.com/save-our-bees/
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