What’s killing the bees?
The list of bees on the Endangered Species list is growing each year. In 2017 the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee was added, as well as 7 species in Hawaii.
Mass die-offs of bees is nothing new. Reports as far back as 1869 chronicled the agony of beekeepers as their honey bee colonies succumbed to disease and pests.
However, todays die-offs are much more dangerous. Why? Today bees are put in trucks and driven up to 3000 miles (4800 kilometers) to pollinate crops and orchards.
In turn, those diseases and pests that they may have developed an immunity to are now introduced to a huge group of other travelers who are already weary and stressed from the journey. Unknowingly, those compromised bees carry these foreign pests and diseases back home.
As a result, mites that were once localized are now widespread. To make matters worse, some pests can take over a year to kill the host.
While you may not be a beekeeper, there are some things that you can do.
What is Monoculture?
Monoculture is the practice of growing just one type of crop. Just like humans, bees need variety for a healthy immune system. If available, choose locally grown organic foods. Generally, smaller farms have many crops grown alongside and sometimes intermixed. And most organic farmers appreciate beneficial insects and the benefits they provide for their business.
The next time your veggies look perfect, ask yourself ‘why did an insect pass this up?’. If an insect hasn’t nibbled on your lettuce, maybe you shouldn’t either.
Toxic and Deadly Pesticides
A healthy garden has creatures that all play a part. Some of them such as snails, slugs and beetles can cause damage. If the damage is extensive and threatening the life of the plant, action may be needed.
Pesticides are deadly to bees, and even when used sparingly can weaken their immune system. Look for alternatives to chemical pesticides if you’re having an issue.
At soil level, beer in a shallow cup is all it takes to get rid of slugs and snails. In raised beds, many have found that a strip of copper stapled completely around the bed will give them a shock and send them packing. For weeds, corn gluten can be applied at their base as a natural herbicide.
To halt damage to the plant mix Kaolin Clay with water and spray it directly onto all parts of the plant except the flowers. This should only be applied at night, when the bees are done with their work for the day.
This is just a sample of the many bee-friendly options. For a more extensive list, including level of toxicity see the Xerces organic approved pesticides factsheet.
If you must use a chemical pesticide, never spray during daylight and keep it off of flower buds or open flowers. For more tips visit planetbee.org
Encroachment on Habitat
Habitat loss is also a contributing factor to the decline of wild bees. A standard neighborhood has paved and installed lawn on every square inch. But many bees nest at ground level or even underground.
Do you really need all that grass? It’s a hassle right? Look into flowering ground covers and taller decorative grasses. No mowing or chemical fertilizers required! And you might even start to enjoy the sight of a flowering dandelion instead of running for the bottle of herbicide.
A xeriscape landscape provides many benefits:
- Requires less water during the summer
- More appealing than common turf
- Tremendous color, variety and beauty
- Bees love it!
By creating a bee friendly space you can help keep your local bees as healthy as possible. Wild bees are very low maintenance and what it takes to make them happy will beautify the area. See our article “Build a Bee Friendly Backyard” for more detail.
Finally, you can help to catalog the bees in your area using bumblebeewatch.org and beespotter.org which will help researchers determine the status and needs of the local bee population.
BUZZcoin™ is using blockchain technology to gather data from its BC-HMD™ (BUZZcoin Hive Mind Device) and BC-QMM™ (BUZZcoin Queen Middleware Masternodes) SmartHives Devices all over the planet with gathered on the BC-HMN™ (Hive Mind Network) the goal of reversing the bee depopulation. For more information about our project please see our Whitepaper at https://www.buzzcoin.info/wp.pdf
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