Save the Bees
Breakfast with Bees
Yum – bee pollination gives us much of our fruit, nuts, and vegetables. But look what would happen if there were no bees in the world. Dry toast for breakfast! Over 75% of the world’s most important food crops need pollinators.
If bees are toast, so are we…
To Bee or Not to Bee? Bee numbers are dropping fast. A world without bees could be a world without humans. All over the world honey bees are dying: about a third of U.S. hives yearly since 2004; up to 50% of British and Japanese hives. Humans are probably to blame: through heavy use of pesticides, spreading viruses, poor bee diet (monocultures), destroying habitats, and climate change. Maybe a combination of these has stressed and weakened bees.
What You Can Do: look after all pollinators – honeybees, bumblebees and native bees:
- Plant trees, bushes, flowers. Bees love lavender, heather, thyme, and Californian lilac.
- Leave some of your lawn to grow wild- it provides shelter, attracts helpful bugs, and saves petrol!
- Avoid using chemicals on plants, in the air, and in water sources (bees drink too).
Bees For Development is a charity which works to combat poverty through be
ekeeping. They promote beekeeping skills in poor communities – relieving poverty and boosting the environment at the same time. Their patron is the singer Sting (photo: Paolo Roversi), of course!
Visit their excellent website:
A superb book on the crisis is Fruitless Fall by Rowan Jacobsen.
Recent articles on the Bee Crisis (New Internationalist)
Last Flight of the Honeybees by Alison Benjamin – Guardian.
Plan Bee – great campaign to save bees