“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals…no more man.” – Albert Einstein
Are Bees Vital to Our Existence?
As agriculture declines and dies off from the lack of pollination, animals that are herbivores will consume the remaining plants on our earth. When the plants are extinct, animals will die from lack of food and humanity will slowly become a thing of the past.
The tiny insect we know as a bee, is responsible for pollinating agriculture and plants throughout the world. Without them, we would not have vegetation, trees, and plants. Agriculture would fail to thrive.
Types of Bees
There are many types of bees; however, to us, a bee is a bee is a bee. Contrary to our perception, different kinds of bees have different purposes.
- Bumble Bees, Honey Bees, African Honey Bees
- Carpenter Bees
- Digger Bees
- Mining Bees
- Mason Bees
- Sweat Bees
- Plaster Bees
- Yellow-Faced Bees
A Bee’s Purpose
Bees along with a few other insects pollinate the world’s vegetation. Most of these bees are solitary and are known as “workers.” Many farmers have beehives set up in their fields to take advantage of bees pollinating their crops.
While honeybees are “super pollinators,” so too are the native bees. Native bees are much stronger and able to step in when the job calls for significant pollination. They quietly move about while going unnoticed.
How Do We Save the Bees?
We can help save the bees by staving off what’s known as “Colony Collapse.”
Colony Collapse occurs when the worker bees never return to the colony leaving the queen bee behind to care and nurse the remaining young bees. The role of a queen bee is very specific, and no other bee can fill her shoes. Laying all of the eggs for the colony, she tends to the young. Never leaving the colony, she is mainly controlled by the worker bees and is not the regal ruler of the colony as many of us assumed.
The vast majority of us know little or nothing about bees or the fact that they are dying off. There are a few things we can do to help prevent Colony Collapse.
Plant things in your yard that not only attract bees but helps them to thrive.
- Flowering plants that are yellow, blue and purple. Bees prefer these colors
- Herbs such as sage, oregano, lavender, echinacea and thyme
- Trees that blossoms
Put a bee habitat in your yard or garden area.
- Place a shelter in an area that is away from your house allowing bees to have solitude to thrive.
- Place wooden blocks with holes drilled into them around an area that is quiet for those bees that prefer nesting in wood.
- Provide water for the bees.
- Refrain from using pesticides in your yard or garden area. Use organic pest control and your bees will thank you!
A friend of mine has this in his yard and runs an emergency plumber Hollywood fl. He found the bees when he was fixing a leaking pipe in his house and had to open a wall to fix the pipe. He saw the bees, heard what I have been doing to help the bees and he made a habitat for them and now helps them and plants bee-friendly plants all over his backyard. You could say he’s a neophyte bee-keeper
This fun hobby provides a stable environment for bees while promoting their population. Join other beekeepers in your area to swap ideas and raise awareness on the decline of bees.
You will find that beekeeping is rewarding with not only the “coming and going” of watching the bees hardly work is entertaining, but you get to enjoy the bounty of honey your bees produce!