Bees are the backbone of the environment as we know it, helping many plant and animal species by pollinating. “More than 20,000 bee species around the world are the most important group of pollinators for farming and wild plants,” a representative from The Honeybee Conservancy told Bored Panda. We can thank bees for such delicious produce as potatoes, tangerines, apples and so, so much more! “One in three mouthfuls of food we eat benefits from bee pollination” the representative added.
Unfortunately, as precious as the bees are to our ecosystem, there has been an increasing worry regarding their numbers and what it means to our future. “Populations are declining due to a variety of factors including human development, pesticides, disease and a changing climate,” The Honeybee Conservancy representative explained. That’s why various organizations and volunteers are banding together to help out our little pollinators by spreading awareness and investing time and money to pass legislation that would help preserve many bee species by banning various insecticides.
Update (09/03): The article previously stated that it is not recommended to give bees sugar water, especially in large quantities by leaving a bowl of sweetened water outside, however The Honeybee Conservancy representative clarified that the information was misleading and it is alright to give bees sugar water in most scenarios.
1. Protect bee habitat
Image credits: Myriams-Fotos
One of the threats to our bees is reducing habitat. We all can help bees in urban spaces by creating more gardens, green areas and habitat corridors with nectar-rich plants such as wildflowers. And if you think that they require huge fields full of flowers, that is not true! Green spaces can be established on street corners, balconies, while flowers can be planted along roadways. If you want to take a step further, you can get involved with the local government to advocate sensible solutions to the expanding urban areas.
2. Avoid harmful pesticides
Image credits: rostichep
Synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides are some of the dangers that bees face. Avoid using pesticides in your garden and if you must treat your garden, go for organic options and spray at night since pollinators are least active at that time. You can also use beneficial insects such as praying mantises and ladybugs to help you out in the garden. “Avoid chemicals belonging to the neonicotinoid family at all costs, as they are especially harmful to bees” The Honeybee Conservancy page notes.
3. Create a Bee Bath
Image credits: Seachild
You can fill a shallow dish or container with clean water and add some pebbles and stones inside so that they poke out of the water. This will be a perfect retreat for the bees to drink and rest as they take a break from foraging and pollinating.
4. Build homes for solitary and bumble bees
Image credits: Danie Ware
Even though it is a common knowledge that bees live in a hive, it’s only really honeybess that do. Most of the types of bees are solitary creatures with 70% of bees living underground and 30% living in holes inside of trees or hollow stems. You can buy a “Bee condo” or “Bee hotel” online or build one of your own to help create some living spaces for those lone insects. After all, even if they won’t bring you honey, the little bees pollinate surrounding plants!
5. Plant a bee-friendly garden
Image credits: Max Pixel
You can help out bees by planting a bee-friendly garden and providing them a place to rest, pollinate and forage. Some helpful tips offered by The Honeybee Conservancy include:
• Avoid hybrid flowers, which may be sterile and have little or no nectar or pollen
• Skip the double flowers, which lack pollen
• Make sure you’ll have blooms for bees year round.
• Plant flowers in patches – bees like to focus on one flower type at a time
• Leave an undisturbed plot for ground-nesting bees
6. Plant trees
Image credits: Emilia_Baczynska
I bet we all imagine bees flying around in the garden, sitting on a lone sunflower or digging between the petals of a rose. But bees love trees just as much as perennials! In fact, bees get most of their nectar from trees! They’re not only an excellent source of food, but a great habitat. “Tree leaves and resin provide nesting material for bees, while their natural wood cavities make excellent shelters” The Honeybee Conservancy page explains. While deforestation problem is still relevant, you can do your part by caring for and planting trees and joining communities with similar interest in tree preservaton!
7. Support your local beekeeper
Image credits: bernswaelz
One way to help the bees out is to start a honeybee hive, however, not all of us have the means and space for it. A good alternative to that would be supporting a local beekeeper. They work hard to look after and nurture their bees and their efforts help out both, the bees and people around! Best way to support beekeepers is to buy their produce. Most will have honey and beeswax products to sell, however, there are some who create soaps, lotions, and beeswax candles. And if you buy honey locally, chances are that bees collected from your flowers!
8. Sponsor a Hive
Image credits: Alexas_Fotos
Another choice for those who can’t afford to start their own hive is to sponsor initiatives that build hives. The Honeybee Conservancy is working to install stocked honeybee hives and solitary bee homes in communities across the United States. You can help them out by donating or looking for organizations around with similar initiatives. “By sponsoring a hive, you aren’t only helping to save the bees, but to improve communities across the country”
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Share on FacebookFinally! A good post on Bored Panda! This amazing work of art needs to be honored by both bees and humans alike.
Your profile name and picture makes this comment all the better!
Load More Replies...When using ladybugs to keep bugs away, choose a species that is native to your area.
Do ladybugs keep mosquitoes away? I have been having a TERRIBLE time with mosquitoes ever since October. I'm eaten alive day in & day out moreso once it becomes dark out. I also can't sleep b/c they buzz around my head & wake me up. Last night I slept maybe one straight hour. : ( I've tried EVERYTING & nothing works. Someone told me where I live they are very strong & nothing detracts them. I don't use chemicals.
Load More Replies...One of my favorite things is watching bees on my veggie plants. Amazing how they get right to work after a heavy rain and keep forging morning till dusk.. I definitely will be adding a bee bath this spring!
I think people do not realize the effects of losing bees has on our global economy. We need bees in order for the world to survive.
It’s not just the economy. It’s also we need them for living. We will starve and die and CO2 our planet without bees.
Load More Replies...Unfortunately, there's another thing out there that is threatening bees, and that is human greed. More specifically, the "Honey Mafia" - there are some unscrupulous people out there, most likely connected with large honey producing firms, who are willing to poison hundreds of hives and kill millions of bees to force their competitors to bankruptcy. My girlfriend's family have a small bee-keeping business and twice so far they've found some of their hives poisoned by persons unknown, as did other bee-keepers form the area, and it's only growing worse. Also,the way the poisonings were conducted, in broad daylight and without care that they're being caught on camera, suggests this is a deliberate attempt at intimidation rather than wanton vandalism. And, of course, the Police seem utterly incapable of doing anything, probably because they've been paid off.
Just TERRIBLE : ( It's one thing to steal them as I recently watched a show on the terrible things that are going on in the industry like fake honey that's mainly corn syrup sold from overseas to the US, & competitors stealing hives, but to POISON THEM??? And in NZ that's where the best honey is supposed to come from. I have yet to taste it to see if it helps me with my health. JUST TERRIBLE : ( Thanks for the info.
Load More Replies...I'm going to add a couple little tweeks here: to the water bowl, add pebbles, so exhausted bees doe not drown. And if you build them a home, or buy a bee home, please buy one that does not have impregnated wood or stained/painted wood. The impregnation stuff is toxic for bees and so are most stains. Of course, the roof can be painted on top to prevent it from water.
You’ll be happy to know that bees, as a species, haven’t had one day off in 27 million years.
Load More Replies...you can also have a pond with water lilies, used to have one at one place my family rented, all sorts of creatures (usually insect) enjoyed it.
If you have a garden, you can do a lot only by not doing anything at all - first of all, not mow anything! This turned my grandma's garden in a paradise, where everything grows like it grows, does, what it does, and there's a lot of bees and other insect and other animals around there. The neighbour's gardens usually look like dead in comparison - well cut, boring grass. Nature knew how to work before us ... will know after us ... let's just not interrupt it all the time!
Although I have to say I had tomatoes on my deck and lots of little bee pools set up. The Wasp family came over and not only attacked one of my pugs, but swanned around like it was a spa: sitting in the water, lounging poolside. So I moved off the water and put it by the lavender...bees and magpies were pleased, wasps moved on.
So do wasps not like lavender? I'm very curious now, and at my house we have so many wasps and I'd like to get them to leave
Load More Replies...Please be aware that many of the bee hotels that are sold, don't meet the requirements that bees have for nesting places. So you can buy them, but bees won't use them. Before buying, try to find some information about which bee hotels are really suitable for wild bees in your area.
Good post! I only have some doubts about no. 7 and 8, because honeybees compete with wild bees in finding food sources. So breeding more honeybees makes life even harder for wild bees (like bumble bees). If you really want to help the bees, I would stick to the first six advices: more food, more nesting opportunities and no pesticides. And also: don't buy plants, fruits and vegetables that are grown with the use of pesticides.
Ugh, I wish I could plant a pollinator garden, but my little brother is very allergic and terrified of bees... it sucks!
Stop using chemicals and herbicides on your lawns and yards. They weaken bees and make them more vulnerable to parasites. We lost our hive due to neighbors spraying their yards weekly instead of pulling weeds by hand. Yeah, it's more work but it is better for the environment plus it can help you get in shape.
I’m all good with helping local pollinators. There’s a problem, though: a lot of the concern being shown for bees is directed squarely at the North American honey bee, an introduced species that is not native to North America, and which is DISPLACING native pollinators. Worse, the honey bee is a poor pollinator for the plants native to North America. Why all the concern for this one bee? Business interests. The apiaries producing honey, and the corporate farms they service by bringing their hives to farms for pollination of crops. The things in this list are good things to do (I’m doing several already), but individuals doing little things will not stop a systemic problem that is caused by huge acts of corporate harm and government disinterest in the environment. Yes, we should change the “hate insects” culture, and that’s down to individuals as well... but that should be about insects in general, not just the business slave/tool insect that we associate with honey.
In the summer, I leave my door open and bees and wasps fly in, then they go to the window, I take a jar to scoop them up then set them free !!!
The one thing not mentioned in this article that doesn't just harm bees, but ALL living things including US. EMFs. All the toxins from the cell phones & their towers, wifi from laptops, tablets, etc. & now the 5G that's coming is VERY toxic & is one of the reasons why the bees can no longer fly properly b/c we are all made up of energy & that screws with our energy wavelength. It's another reason why so many people are getting sick, that & ALL of the toxins from the EVIL CORPS & what they have done to our air, water & food. And of course, them creating their bloody FAKE FOOD. https://wedeservehealth.com
Bees are an important part of our world. They pollinate plants for us to eat. However, I feel uneasy from this post. Some people may not realize it, but honey bees are actually an invasive species. Because of that, they add competition for the native bees! In fact: the Native Americans called them "the white man's fly". I don't know how I feel about our potentially misguided efforts, even though I'm under-educated on what the native bees need & if the posts above can help.
Why people from USA always asumes that every post is about their country? This is an international website.
Load More Replies...I hope someday the same thing gets done to you, TJ.
Load More Replies...Finally! A good post on Bored Panda! This amazing work of art needs to be honored by both bees and humans alike.
Your profile name and picture makes this comment all the better!
Load More Replies...When using ladybugs to keep bugs away, choose a species that is native to your area.
Do ladybugs keep mosquitoes away? I have been having a TERRIBLE time with mosquitoes ever since October. I'm eaten alive day in & day out moreso once it becomes dark out. I also can't sleep b/c they buzz around my head & wake me up. Last night I slept maybe one straight hour. : ( I've tried EVERYTING & nothing works. Someone told me where I live they are very strong & nothing detracts them. I don't use chemicals.
Load More Replies...One of my favorite things is watching bees on my veggie plants. Amazing how they get right to work after a heavy rain and keep forging morning till dusk.. I definitely will be adding a bee bath this spring!
I think people do not realize the effects of losing bees has on our global economy. We need bees in order for the world to survive.
It’s not just the economy. It’s also we need them for living. We will starve and die and CO2 our planet without bees.
Load More Replies...Unfortunately, there's another thing out there that is threatening bees, and that is human greed. More specifically, the "Honey Mafia" - there are some unscrupulous people out there, most likely connected with large honey producing firms, who are willing to poison hundreds of hives and kill millions of bees to force their competitors to bankruptcy. My girlfriend's family have a small bee-keeping business and twice so far they've found some of their hives poisoned by persons unknown, as did other bee-keepers form the area, and it's only growing worse. Also,the way the poisonings were conducted, in broad daylight and without care that they're being caught on camera, suggests this is a deliberate attempt at intimidation rather than wanton vandalism. And, of course, the Police seem utterly incapable of doing anything, probably because they've been paid off.
Just TERRIBLE : ( It's one thing to steal them as I recently watched a show on the terrible things that are going on in the industry like fake honey that's mainly corn syrup sold from overseas to the US, & competitors stealing hives, but to POISON THEM??? And in NZ that's where the best honey is supposed to come from. I have yet to taste it to see if it helps me with my health. JUST TERRIBLE : ( Thanks for the info.
Load More Replies...I'm going to add a couple little tweeks here: to the water bowl, add pebbles, so exhausted bees doe not drown. And if you build them a home, or buy a bee home, please buy one that does not have impregnated wood or stained/painted wood. The impregnation stuff is toxic for bees and so are most stains. Of course, the roof can be painted on top to prevent it from water.
You’ll be happy to know that bees, as a species, haven’t had one day off in 27 million years.
Load More Replies...you can also have a pond with water lilies, used to have one at one place my family rented, all sorts of creatures (usually insect) enjoyed it.
If you have a garden, you can do a lot only by not doing anything at all - first of all, not mow anything! This turned my grandma's garden in a paradise, where everything grows like it grows, does, what it does, and there's a lot of bees and other insect and other animals around there. The neighbour's gardens usually look like dead in comparison - well cut, boring grass. Nature knew how to work before us ... will know after us ... let's just not interrupt it all the time!
Although I have to say I had tomatoes on my deck and lots of little bee pools set up. The Wasp family came over and not only attacked one of my pugs, but swanned around like it was a spa: sitting in the water, lounging poolside. So I moved off the water and put it by the lavender...bees and magpies were pleased, wasps moved on.
So do wasps not like lavender? I'm very curious now, and at my house we have so many wasps and I'd like to get them to leave
Load More Replies...Please be aware that many of the bee hotels that are sold, don't meet the requirements that bees have for nesting places. So you can buy them, but bees won't use them. Before buying, try to find some information about which bee hotels are really suitable for wild bees in your area.
Good post! I only have some doubts about no. 7 and 8, because honeybees compete with wild bees in finding food sources. So breeding more honeybees makes life even harder for wild bees (like bumble bees). If you really want to help the bees, I would stick to the first six advices: more food, more nesting opportunities and no pesticides. And also: don't buy plants, fruits and vegetables that are grown with the use of pesticides.
Ugh, I wish I could plant a pollinator garden, but my little brother is very allergic and terrified of bees... it sucks!
Stop using chemicals and herbicides on your lawns and yards. They weaken bees and make them more vulnerable to parasites. We lost our hive due to neighbors spraying their yards weekly instead of pulling weeds by hand. Yeah, it's more work but it is better for the environment plus it can help you get in shape.
I’m all good with helping local pollinators. There’s a problem, though: a lot of the concern being shown for bees is directed squarely at the North American honey bee, an introduced species that is not native to North America, and which is DISPLACING native pollinators. Worse, the honey bee is a poor pollinator for the plants native to North America. Why all the concern for this one bee? Business interests. The apiaries producing honey, and the corporate farms they service by bringing their hives to farms for pollination of crops. The things in this list are good things to do (I’m doing several already), but individuals doing little things will not stop a systemic problem that is caused by huge acts of corporate harm and government disinterest in the environment. Yes, we should change the “hate insects” culture, and that’s down to individuals as well... but that should be about insects in general, not just the business slave/tool insect that we associate with honey.
In the summer, I leave my door open and bees and wasps fly in, then they go to the window, I take a jar to scoop them up then set them free !!!
The one thing not mentioned in this article that doesn't just harm bees, but ALL living things including US. EMFs. All the toxins from the cell phones & their towers, wifi from laptops, tablets, etc. & now the 5G that's coming is VERY toxic & is one of the reasons why the bees can no longer fly properly b/c we are all made up of energy & that screws with our energy wavelength. It's another reason why so many people are getting sick, that & ALL of the toxins from the EVIL CORPS & what they have done to our air, water & food. And of course, them creating their bloody FAKE FOOD. https://wedeservehealth.com
Bees are an important part of our world. They pollinate plants for us to eat. However, I feel uneasy from this post. Some people may not realize it, but honey bees are actually an invasive species. Because of that, they add competition for the native bees! In fact: the Native Americans called them "the white man's fly". I don't know how I feel about our potentially misguided efforts, even though I'm under-educated on what the native bees need & if the posts above can help.
Why people from USA always asumes that every post is about their country? This is an international website.
Load More Replies...I hope someday the same thing gets done to you, TJ.
Load More Replies...
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