Saving bees also means saving us
Why saving bees is so important
These days, when it comes to saving our planet, everything is about recycling, sustainable shopping and conscious eating. And please don’t get me wrong these are all crucial factors to getting closer to our aim of giving back to our planet. But we sometimes forget one other important factor: saving those who are enabling us to have food in the first place. And with ‘those’ I’m talking about BEES.
Why saving bees is so important
As pollinating insects, bees are responsible for the reproduction of more than 80% of wild plants and 75% of our crops. That means without bees there wouldn’t be pollinators to feed the extraordinary process of flower pollination and there wouldn’t be so many fruits and vegetables to eat every day. A huge contribution not only to every inhabitant, but also to the society’s economic value. Bees don’t get paid to pollinate flowers and crops. They do it for free and save society a cost of about 260 billion euros every year.
What we can do to save bees
- Plant pollinator-friendly plants
Not only parks and wildlife refuges should be a safe place for bees. Urban landscapes and our own backyards are also becoming increasingly important for the survival of bees and should therefore be protected.. - Go chemical-free for bees
Besides major retailers making commitments to stop selling bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides, it is on every single one of us to reduce our own consumption of chemicals. - Create a bee bath
As hardworking pollinators, bees need to stay hydrated. By making a bee bath you can help them to get access to water easily. Also bees will avoid crash-landing in deep water where the chance of drowning is higher. So just choose a shady and protected spot in your garden. Fill a shallow dish with marbles or stones and add water, just enough so that the rocks are slightly covered.
The bee’s decline puts us all at risk. Therefore, it should be our top priority to help and by saving our bees, also save our planet. So act today and create a bee friendly garden!