In life, we often take for granted the little things, yet at the back of it all, it is those little things that truly matters.
I mean how many times have we noticed insects to be more than just insects?
Well today in honour our beloved and irreplaceable champions of eco-sustainability, I thought I’d dedicate a post to the unsung heroes and often neglected little defenders of Mother Nature- the busy bees….
So why are bees important? Aside from being the very creatures that allow for us to indulge in the eco friendly practice of apitherapy and the cures from bee venom, bees actually serves a larger than life purpose as agents of cross-pollination.
Little do we appreciate let alone realise how the co-system is dependent on the help of these little creatures to flourish. And as many species of bees as there are, each is uniquely important to nature as it plays a vital role in the sustainability of particular plants. Bees sustain the bio-diversity of nature as particular species of bees are responsible for the reproduction of particular kinds of plants.
Take for example the bumble bee. Easily one of the most recognisable species of bees around, they are the chief pollinators of flora such as red clover, alfalfa, field beans, peas, runner beans, tomatoes, cotton, raspberries, apple, plum blossom, sunflowers, strawberries, currants and brambles as well as certain species of orchids.
Without nature’s little soldiers, we simply cannot sustain such a rich bio-diversified culture. And since everything in nature works to the domino effect, a dying population of bees equates to the extinction of precious flora with in turn results in the ruin of healthy soil as well as precious and unique fauna which ultimately spell disaster for the eco-system as everything is knocked out of an irreversible balance.
Sounds alarmingly exaggerated doesn’t it? Yet I honestly I kid you not, without bees we have more to lose than just delicious golden honey…
Since it’s our fault bees are losing their habitat and succumbing to the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) or Vanishing Bee Syndrome , it seems only fair that we do our bit to help these little urban/agricultural/natural pollinators survive. So here are some simple steps we can all practise:
Plant flowers preferred by bees.There are Early flowers, Summer Flowers and Late Flowers you can select from.
Furnish housing for the bees. I’m not suggesting you go all out and host colonies; best leave that to the professionals. Instead just like a setting up a bird bath or bird house in your garden, you could put up a bee block/bee house.
Don’t be mistaken, unlike honeybees, there are other kinds of bees which are do not live in hives. Instead, they make their homes in various shelters such as abandoned animal burrows, holes in trees and branches, as well as in underground nest tunnels.
One such bee is the Orchard Mason Bee, a wood nester that doesn’t drill holes and destroy wooden objects; it uses only holes that are readily available. So the bee house/block would be perfect for them (face it South). I suppose it’s also worth nothing that the male Orchard Mason Bee cannot sting and the female rarely stings
Do not use pesticides. We’re organic lovers so obviously toxic chemicals are crossed off our list for the very reason of preserving the environment and all that thrive in it. Pesticides cannot and do not distinguish between insects -it just kills them all. Indirectly you could be poisoning more than just bugs when these chemicals get washed onto the ground/soil by rain or when other animals eat those poisoned bugs. You could actually end up unintentionally exterminating other animals too.
And don’t forget if you get rid of the food source (insects), you just might end up with less birds visiting your lovely garden.
Provide supplement nectar. If you find that frost has damaged the flowers, then you can always help the queen bees by supplementing them with a mixture of 30% sugar and 70% water. Place a small amount of the mixture amongst the flowers.
The cold frosty or rainy weather isn’t a bee’s best friend so a warm housing and a supplement of nectar will help her get her strength back.
Support organisations and practises that support bees. Well if gardening isn’t quite your thing, then you can always just use your purchasing power to support companies that are fighting for the survival of bees. Even harvesting honey can be done in an eco-friendly manner without harming the bees.
This is very true for wild bees’ honey. As a result of the lack of awareness, honey and wax are often still gathered from wild bees by way of smocking and burning- disastrous for the eco-system as our precious natural cross pollinators are innocently murdered.
So make a stand and buy only bee friendly products. Even Häagen-Dazs® is fighting to save the bees with their Help the HoneyBees Campaign. It’s a really cute interactive website that you will want to visit.
