What would happen if one day 80% of flowering plants disappeared? If bees and pollinators die out, that’s exactly what would happen. Bee-friendly garden plants are a simple way to save the honey bees and make the world a better (and more beautiful) place.
Why Are Bees So Important?
In recent years there’s been more awareness to save the dying bee populations. But how important are bees really? Although they’re tiny, bees play a big role in our ecosystem.
According to the USDA Forest Service, over 80% of flowering plants need bees and pollinators to reproduce. This includes flowers, fruit trees, and many other fruits and vegetables. Bees also help pollinate flowers and plants other animals rely on for food.
Basically without bees… there is no us!
The Time to Act Is Yesterday
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service releases their honeybee surveys and reports every year. They’ve found bee colonies took a nosedive in the early 90s, but there’s been a slow uphill climb the past few years. While bees are still at risk of becoming endangered, it seems more people are addressing the issue. We need a whole lot more though!
We’re losing about 30% of bee colonies every single year. There’s only so much time before the clock runs out and we’ve lost our most important pollinators for good.
Build a Bee-Friendly Yard
One of the biggest changes we can make is to create a bee-friendly environment in our own backyards (and front yard, and side yard…). It may not seem like much, but the more people chip in the more of a difference we can make.
Here are some simple ways to create a haven for bees:
- Build a bee bath
- Build a bee house or bee hotel
- Take up beekeeping (this course helps!)
Get Lazy with the Lawnmower
Flowering “weeds” like dandelion and clover are food for hungry pollinators. A picture-perfect patch of green grass may look good in a magazine, but for a bee it’s like an empty buffet. Keeping grass higher and ditching the weed killer means more flowers and wild plants have a chance to grow.
Filling your yard with bee-friendly plants and not mowing wildflowers is a big first step. When a neighbor makes a comment about the “weeds,” that’s a golden opportunity to spread the bee-saving message.
Variety Show
Just like we don’t want to eat only broccoli all day every day, bees also need a variety of foods. Diverse plant life also makes for healthier soil and attracts beneficial insects that feed on the bad bugs.
GMO monocrops, like corn and soy, rely on pesticides that kill wildflowers and decimate friendly insects. Other farms rely on bees to pollinate, but unfortunately many of them still use bee damaging/killing pesticides. Almond groves are a prime example.
We can advocate for better forms of bug control by voting with our dollars and supporting organic farms. Some small farmers don’t use pesticides but aren’t certified organic. It’s worth asking around at the local farmer’s market!
We can also use natural, pollinator-friendly pest control methods in our home gardens.
Not All Plants Are Created Equal
There’s more to making a pollinator garden than setting out some flowers. Certain bees prefer certain plants, and some colors are more attractive than others. Bright colored flowers, especially purple, are more likely to bring bees.
Avoid Neonics
Aka neonicotinoids, this class of pesticides was developed in the 1990s and is widely used. Unfortunately there’s evidence neonics are harming our eco-system, including the bee population. Seeds are coated in the neonicotinoids and as the plant grows the pesticide becomes part of the plant. The pollen and nectar are then poisono