Save the bees! Why you should & how you can…

At Wild Bee, we think everyone should understand the threat of bee population loss and how easily we can all do something to make it better.

The problem of dying bee populations is as simple and complex as this:

No bees = no life.

Bees are the master pollinators; the producers and keepers of plant life. As bee numbers fall, plant numbers and plant species fall.

This triggers a slow but certain cycle of ecosystem destruction.

As diversity and plant numbers fall, animal food sources and habitats are lost, so animal numbers begin to fall too.

Some of the smallest seemingly insignificant animals go first; bacteria, microbes, worms, and insects, including bees.

These losses reduce soil quality, which further reduces plant growth and limits regeneration. Plant numbers and species decrease again. Industry’s solution is to clear more land; forests, bush and rainforests, for farming.

This causes further loss and change of habitats for yet more animals, plants and insects. Including bees again.

As this cycle continues, habitat and food becomes more and more scarce for more and larger animals.

Including humans.

The bees are small, but they play a big part in this picture.   

Why are bees dying to begin with?

For a long time, the varroa mite – a pest, harmful to bees, took most of the blame.

Now, it’s widely recognised that mono cropping, pesticides, pollution, environmental changes and land clearing as noted, all play a role.

In the bee and honey industry, poor bee-farming practices are another part of the problem.

Australia is the only country not affected by the varroa mite, yet our bee numbers are still declining due to the other factors noted.

Bee losses affect farmed as well as wild, native Australian bees.

We can help save the bees, and slow this destructive cycle with a few simple choices. Like these:

Only buy Australian honey and honey products. This supports local bees and Aussie bee farmers. It also reduces the risk of introducing disease to Australian bees via honeys imported from high-risk countries.

Buy your food from small farms and growers that use permaculture farming techniques instead of mono-crops and pesticides. This may mean buying online or shopping at your local farmers market. It’s better for you and for the bees!

If you live in an urban area plant some natives, herbs and flowering plants in your garden or on your balcony. These provide food for bees, including native bees.

Leave shallow bowls of water with sticks or leaves for bees to land on. This gives bees a place to drink and keep cool, in, which is hard in urban environments.

Set up a native beehive in your own backyard!

Buy honey and bee products from companies that support beekeepers with healthy bee keeping practices, like our Wild Bee beekeepers Francois and Mariki at Native Beeings, Ben’s Bees and Australian Manuka.

Talk to your family and friends about this issue. Share articles like this to raise awareness about the problem of bee population loss. Encourage more people to be a part of the solution.

And of course, you can donate directly to incredible bee-saving services like www.beethecure.com.au, whom Wild Bee supports wholeheartedly.

Everyone can do something to help save the bees.

For the bees, for the planet, for the future.

What will you do?