the plight of the humble bumble bee
Filed under: we live here
The following is from the October/November issue of Organic Gardening. It’s written by Janet Marinelli:
We live on a planet pollinated primarily by bees. Bee fertilize most of our favorite flowers and pollinate a third of the plants we eat. Bumblebees are important pollinators of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, melons, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, and many other crops, and are the only known pollinator of potatoes worldwide. Without these essential insects, farm productivity would plummet and wildflowers would become extinct. In short, bumblebees and other bees are essential for our own well-being and the survival of a good deal of the world’s biodiversity.
But bees are in trouble. In recent years, parasitic mites have killed most feral honeybees and many colonies maintained by beekeepers. Meanwhile, the natural habitats of bumblebees and other native bees continue to be carved up, destroyed, or degraded.
Parasites prey on the weak, diseased and vulnerable. It’s a law of the universe, and they are thriving because the bees are in trouble. (The same is true with humans, btw.) One of the biggest threats to bees are our thoughtless use of chemicals, insecticides and poor land-use and stewardship. Bees die when they come into contact with environmental toxins in even small doses. This makes virtually all honey “organic,” but it’s bad news for their ability to live and thrive in our increasingly toxic world.
What you can do:
* Grow flowers and plants that bumblebees love, especially wildflowers native to your area, as they are best adapted to the local soils and climate, and the local pollinators; bees especially like blue, purple, white and yellow flowers
* Forego the use of insecticides, which harm bees and other beneficial bugs, as well as humans and the four-legged members of our households
* Give bee some real estate in your backyard; according to the article,
The manicured turf and flowerbeds of suburbia offer few suitable nesting sites for social bees like bumblebees. Old mouse nest or rodent burrows are the preferred abodes, but … Creating a healthy habitat for bumblebees does not require great horticultural talent. These are not shy, finicky creatures. You don’t have to relandscape your entire property; just tuck favorite bumblebee blooms between your existing plants or grow them in pots where you can observe the insects up close.
If there are no abandoned bird nests in your yard, you can buy a bumblebee nest box. The Humble Bumble Home from the family-owned Knox Cellars includes a pine box, nesting material, an instruction book, and a clear plastic “ceiling” that allows you to lift the box’s wooden roof to observe the bees at work. $30, knoxcellars.com
* Buy local, organic fruits and veggies and flowers, produced without harmful -cides of all kinds. Next time you sent flowers, check out this wonderful company, OrganicBouquet.com. I’ve had great experiences with them. (For the sake of reducing waste, the flowers come in water but not in a vase, so be sure to include one in your order if that’s your wish.)
* Reduce the use of chemicals in your home. These are destroying our environment and the one that bees live in. We can’t live without them.
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