Why We Need To Start Saving Bees NOW!

Bumblebee Conservation Trust

With the June summer solstice having been and gone, schools breaking up for the 6 week holidays, sunsets getting later and temperatures getting (only) slightly higher, it can only mean one thing – the GREAT BRITISH SUMMER is in full swing!

However with warmer weather brings an increase in the number of insects you will encounter. Unless of course, it’s bees you’re thinking of. Not to be confused with their unfriendly hymenoptera look-alikes, everyone’s favourite… the wasp.

No, bees are an extremely special and highly important species – and here’s why.

As previously mentioned, bees are a part of the 150,000 species-strong 'Hymenoptera'- the third largest order of insects. However, they are decreasing in number at an alarming rate. Now I know a lot of you will be reading this, shaking your heads whilst muttering that bees are nothing but pests. Hear me out.

Only female worker (honey) bees can sting. Along with the Queen but I guess that goes without saying. Yet, these bees will only sting when absolutely necessary! Particularly when it feels scared or the colony is under threat.

Statistics* show that bees pollinate one third of the food we eat. That means there’s a bee out there somewhere in the world to thank for pollinating nearly every 1 in 3 bites of food you take. Amazing, right? According to GreenPeace USA – honey bees in particular are responsible for 80% of pollination worldwide. Yet these amazing creatures are at the risk of completely dying out due to a disease spread by the VARROA MITE. In fact you’d actually struggle to locate a wild honey bee colony in its natural habitat because the majority of them have died out due to this disease. Statistics used by GreenPeace show that one single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day with 70 of the top 100 crops used to supply 90% of human nutrition being pollinated by bees!

Honey, wax, propolis, and pollen from honey bees all have nutritional, manufacturing and medicinal uses. These tiny critters are responsible for pollinating the flowers of plants that go on to feed cattle and other farm animals – meaning that without bees pollinating these plants, many animals would starve and die – having detrimental effects on the farming and agriculture markets. It has been estimated that the economic value of insect pollinated crops which are grown for commercial use, stands at 200 million a year!

There has been a massive 60% reduction in bee colonies between 1947 and 2008, with numbers continuing to fall and a further 30% reduction between 2007 and 2014. This has mostly been caused by destruction of habitat, with the bees not having enough time to relocate before they die. However a lot of bees have also been killed off by being poisoned by certain pesticides.

How can YOU help?

If like me, you’re a huge lover of bees and wish to help save these fascinating, hard-working (mostly) harmless creatures – here’s a few tips to follow to get you started!

1.       Avoid using insecticides/pesticides in your garden/farm.  Systematic pesticides are harming bee colonies more than you may think. As the chemicals are absorbed from the soil, they poison the pollen and nectar of plants which bees use to feed on, slowly killing the insects whilst contaminating plants and water.

2.       Build habitats which reflect that of a bees. Turning a part of your garden or a piece of land into something which resembles a bee’s natural habitat will encourage bees to visit. Giving them somewhere to go when their natural habitat is being destroyed.

3.       Plant bee-friendly flowers. Bees are attracted to bright, bold, scented flowers. These can be anything from Viper’s Bugloss (for bumblebees) to Lavender (for honey bees). Sedum and Mahonia are particularly good plants to have as they flower from September, providing food for bees during the winter months when a colony is at its weakest.

4.       Buy or even make your own ‘wild bee house’. I recently bought one of these for our garden and it’s a great way to provide shelter for tired and resting bees. Purchasing one of these can sometimes be quite pricey, however if you have the materials why not try BUILDING YOUR OWN in 20 minutes!

5.       Sign petitions to help save bees/ban pesticides. I’m not the only person out there who cares about saving the bees, there are many more people like me. With plenty of petitions circulating the internet, make sure to sign away!

6.       A little research goes a long way. Do a bit of research about different kinds of bees. Increase your knowledge. Become a beekeeper. Create a website. See what MPs in your area are doing to make sure bees are protected and saved.

The rest is up to you and the possibilities are endless! If you feel inspired by this post, learned something new or just want to help spread awareness for saving the bees – PLEASE SHARE THIS POST!

*GREEN PEACE STATISTICS