Our honeybees are dying off at an alarming rate. Have you seen the most recent numbers?
VanEngelsdorp and other researchers at the Bee Informed Partnership, affiliated with the Department of Agriculture, just announced more than 40 percent of honeybee hives died this past year, as the Associated Press reported. The number is preliminary, but is the second-highest annual loss recorded to date. (Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/14/honeybees-dying-situation-unheard-of/, accessed 6/11.2015).
This is frightening. Bees, and pollinators in general are a highly endangered species. Why should we care? Because these pollinators are the magic that causes our food to be. Think about what bees do for us... just think.... Besides the honey, their actions cause fruits to be formed and ripen. What would happen if all of our pollinators were to suddenly disappear?
It's a frightening thought, isn't it?
WE are the stewards of our Earth. Our beloved little home amongst the stars. The only home we have. WE need to take care of all the life forms on this planet - for our very existence depends upon the survival of all the other life forms.
I am very, very worried about the state of the planet on which we live. Things are changing faster than they should - and the insects and frogs - the so called bell weather animals that let us know how our environment is doing, are beginning to die out.
Years ago, I set out to make our back yard a nature habitat. When we sold our old house, the extensive butterfly garden was a selling point prominently listed by the real estate agent in all of her advertisements.
We moved out to our house in the way out suburbs, and I once again began setting about making more butterfly gardens. I have a gorgeous garden outside of the kitchen window that my daughter planted. We even added a small fountain in that garden - with rocks and a couple of water plants - so that the butterflies could puddle around the edges.
I've just begun working on another garden in the front yard. It's slow and steady progress on that. I am transplanting some plants from the backyard garden that needed to be broken up, and I found a few perennials that are known to appeal to butterflies on sale in our local garden center earlier this spring.
Perhaps the most important thing we do for the pollinators around us is that we refuse to use lawn chemicals on our acre of grass. We have dandelions, and clover, and buttercups. Any given day will find our yard full of bees of all sizes, butterflies, birds, frogs, chipmunks, groundhogs, and other assorted wildlife. I do mow the grass, but I am always aware that there are bees all over the weeds - so we always wear shoes when we go out.
Have you ever wondered what you can do to help attract and keep pollinators?
Plant flowers native to your area. (Bonus - you don't have to water them all that often since they're native to your area!)
Plant single flower tops - such as marigolds and daisies. These blooms make it easier for the bees to access nectar.
Skip the highly hybridized plants - they have little to no nectar.
Plant for blooms season round. (Successive Planting)
Create a bee bath - a little watering hole for bees.
(source: The Bee Conservancy- http://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/act-today-2/plant-a-bee-garden/)
If you really want to go all out, check out the National Wildlife Federation's "Certified Wildlife Sanctuary" program: http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Create-a-Habitat.aspx
Update:
I found this article on Facebook on 6/18/2015. More information about the Beepocolypse and it's potentially devastating impact on ALL of us: http://qz.com/107970/scientists-discover-whats-killing-the-bees-and-its-worse-than-you-thought/
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