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Save the Bees!

Bees sometimes get a bad wrap because, well, when they sting you, it hurts! But do you know how much they do for us?

According to the NRDC, 1 in every 3 bites of food we eat depends on bees and other pollinators! It’s estimated that honey bees are responsible for about $15 billion in US agricultural crops each year. And they don’t even charge us for that service!

But recently, due to a number of factors including habitat loss, climate change, disease, and the use of certain insecticides, 40% of honey bee colonies collapsed between spring of 2017 to 2018.

So we think it’s time to take action and help our hardworking, incredibly intelligent friends. We turned to Lori Roth – beekeeper and long-time REVERB volunteer (and in the interest of full disclosure the mom of community and volunteer manager Paige) – to offer up some tips!

Hi!

My name is Lori and I am a Maine beekeeper with a BA in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Southern Maine (also an enthusiastic REVERB volunteer)!  As a beekeeper, I know that honey bees are efficient pollinators, essential to global ecosystems.

Honey bee facts:
  • Honey bees are vegetarians
  • Honey bees fly at about 15 MPH-so efficiently that just an ounce of honey would be enough to fuel a bee’s trip around the world
  • Honey bees live in colonies of 20,000-60,000 bees
  • In addition to producing honey and beeswax, honey bees pollinate about 80% of the crops that we humans depend on for a third of our diet.
  • Honey bees will travel up to 5 miles from home to collect nectar, pollen and water.

BeeInsecticides, such as neonicotinoids, and varroa mites have caused declines in honeybee populations. Here are a few ways you can help:

  1. Abandon the notion of a “perfect lawn”. Dandelions and clover are two of bee’s favorite foods and are important nectar and pollen sources in the spring.
  2. Spray yourself and not your yard. Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are harmful to bees, not great for your water either.
  3. Urge the EPA and USDA to ban neonicotinoids, a widely used class of pesticide. Find a petition asking legislators to ban them.
  4. Consider planting some bee friendly flowers. Lavender, thyme, mint and rosemary are just a few. Be sure to check with the nursery when buying plants. Sometimes “bee friendly” plants have been treated with neonicotinoids.
  5. Sponsor a hive! https://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/beekeeping-grants/

Happy Spring!