Bees in Peril: What You Can Do
June 23, 2007
By now you will have read about the case of the disappearing honeybees and Hive Collapse Disorder. Beekeepers across the world have been opening the hives up to discover the bees have fled. So far the precise reason for this is a mystery, but bees are dying from pesticide and insecticide use, climate change, loss of habitat, and genetically modified foods. In order to protect our food security we need to protect the wild and domesticated bees that pollinate our crops. Here is a list of things you can do to help save the bees:
--Stop using pesticides. The garden needs insects to be in a state of ecological balance.
--Create diversity in your garden-this helps attracts a variety of insects into your garden which keep each other in balance.
--Introduce native plants in your garden to attract wild bees.
--Create blossom density: use hanging plants and potted plants in the city to maximize bee habitat.
---Plant flowers that bloom in a continuous succession from early Spring to late Fall.
--Dig up your lawn to plant flowers and vegetables and increase blossom density.
--Become a guerilla gardener, and plant flowers in vacant lots.
-- Plant heritage perennials in a corner of you garden for a "fairy garden" full of undisturbed soil and old logs for bumble bees to build nests in.
--Research and build bumble bee homes and mason bee houses.
--Plant heritage varieties of flowers, not the hybrid double-blossomed varieties.
--Turn off your tv and watch your garden instead.
--Support organic farmers by buying local organic food.
--Lobby for the labeling of GM Foods, and boycott GM crops.
--Become a bee watcher and a beespeaker!
For more info at Bee Gardens, download the Home for Bees document on this web site: http://www.lifecyclesproject.ca/resources/.