As you have undoubtedly heard by now, the bees need our help.
Beyond sharing social media posts about the issue, there are many ways you can support the health of our bee populations. This isn’t a problem only scientists can solve — each and every one of us can do our part.
3 Bee-Friendly Calls to Action
Plant something. Plants are part of a bee’s essential habitat. Bees like lavender, rosemary, sunflowers, and black-eyed Susans. This guide will help you choose bee-friendly plants that are native to your area (they even have an app)!
Go organic. Plants and seeds which are treated in pesticides are killing our bees. Avoid anything with neonicotinoids, insecticides that paralyze and kill insects.
Only buy local, raw honey. Many hives are treated with chemicals and are not good for bees. Go to the farmers’ market and meet the beekeepers. Find out what they do to their hives, and whether they keep their bees in a sustainable way. In the grocery store, avoid imported honey without the words “raw” or “pure”.
Organizations to Buzz About
Pollinator Partnership Canada is a not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the protection and promotion of pollinators. That doesn’t just mean bees: Birds, bats, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals pollinate plants sustain our ecosystems. Their website provides planting guides and useful resources for gardening friendlier!
Shoresh, which is dedicated to immersive opportunities for land-based Jewish learning and living, educates visitors on bee hive health at their Bela Farm location. Bela’s Bees Apriary is home to 30 active bee hives. You can sponsor a bee hive on their site.
Beekeeper’s Naturals is a Canadian company who makes a propolis spray which can be used to help maintain good health. The propolis is harvested by hand and is alcohol-free. The company is helping raise awareness and funds for the Canadian Bee Research Fund, a charity that is a joint project of the Canadian Honey Council and the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists, which provides funding for bee research in Canada.
It’s the little things that matter; especially when it comes to our ecosystem!
