Bee Friend Project

Whats Happening to the Bees?

 

It's been going on now for at least 8 years. An unexplainable and alarming phenomena of bees dying off and disappearing. Since 2006 Beekeepers of managed bee colonies report that on average about 30% of their bees are lost each winter, that is double the acceptable rate of loss of 15% reported by Beekeepers. Those numbers do not take into account the number of wild bee hives that are being affected by this problem also.  Sometimes the Beekeepers find the dead bees in and around the hives but often, the bees have just vanished, never returning to their hives. This is called Colony Collapse Disorder. Beekeepers, Scientists and other experts in the field of study and research and even the governments of the world agree that this is a real and worrisome problem.

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What's Causing This?

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Researchers, Scientists, Entomologists and other highly qualified experts from many Universities, Non-Profit and Private Organizations around the world seem to be in agreement that although they have not found a single cause of the mass die off they believe it is a combination of many factors including monoculture, pesticides, (especially Neonicotinoids), genetically modified seeds, habitat destruction, lack of flower diversity and inability to find pollen and nectar, climate change and stress when being shipped by truck thousands of miles, fungus and parasites, all are contributing and mixed together make a toxic cocktail affecting the nervous system of the bees and causing them be unable to forage for pollen and also become disorientated, weak and die.

 

Why Should We Care?

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It's estimated that 15% or every third bite of the food we eat relies on Honeybees to pollinate the crops that produce the fruits, nuts, and vegetables. 

It may be true that if Bees become extinct we can eat meat and grains, but think of what it would be like to never eat berries, nuts, tomatoes, herbs, peaches, apples, oranges, and many other fruits and veggies,not mention delicious and medicinal Honey! Or be able to watch the colors explode along the countryside, roadways, or in your garden as the seasons turn from winter to spring while flowers bloom.

 

What Can We Do?

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1. Plant more seeds. Find what flowers are native to your area. They will be the best plants for the Bees in your area. But really, any wildflowers will do. Plant non-GMO seeds only. 

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2. Stop using harmful pesticides and weed killers. Use alternatives to controlling pests and weeds. Soap spray, vinegar, beneficial insects and a diverse garden can help cut down the number of pests and keep your garden in balance.

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​3. Tell your Members of Congress- To support H.R. 2692, the Saving Americas Pollinator Act. A bill that was introduced in Congress calling for the EPA to suspend registration of certain pesticides derived from Neonicitinoids until it is determined that they do not have adverse effects on the Pollinators. These same pesticides have already been banned in the 28 Countries of the European Union including, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy.

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4. Be A Beekeeper, or start a Co-Op of like-minded people to take care of some bee hives.

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5. Learn & Share. Teach others the significance of the dwindling bee populations and help out by getting others to plant seeds of hope for the future. Share our cause with everyone you know.