Save the Honeybees?!

I’m a food banker by profession, and just learned about the bee issue and the ghastly repercussions this could have on the food supply. See the last paragraph for what I’m going to try to do! Suppose they’ll create honey there, or just have a place to live? I’m diabetic, so honey is off-limits for me… I’m perfectly happy to host Hotel Honeybee!

==

from the Natural Resources Defense Council

You can help keep bees healthy by making your yard and garden colorful, diverse and pesticide free. Here are some tips on how you can Bee Safe:

~ Bee Native: Use local and native plants in your yard and garden. These plants thrive easily and are well suited for local bee populations, providing pollen and nectar for bees to eat.

~ Bee Diverse: Plant lots of different kinds of plants in your yard. Plant diversity ensures that your garden attracts many different varieties of bees and gives them a range of flowering plants to choose from throughout the year. Make sure your yard plants vary in:
o Color: Bees have good vision and are attracted to several different colors of flowers.
o Shape: Different species of bees are better suited for different shapes of flowers. Give your bees some variety!
o Flowering times: Having a sequence of plant species that flower throughout the year helps sustain the food supply and attract different species of bees.

~ Bee Open to Pollen: Pollen is bee food. Genetically engineered pollen-free plants trick bees into thinking they’ll find food, and then leave them hungry. (Don’t worry, flower pollen isn’t a big contributor to most people’s allergies.)

~ Bee Pesticide Wary: There are many natural methods to control pests in your garden. Researchers believe pesticides are a contributing factor to Colony Collapse Disorder. Moreover, some insecticides are harmful to bees and wipe out flowers that provide bees with food. If you must, use targeted pesticides and spray at night ~ when bees aren’t active ~ on dry days.

~ Bee a Hive Builder: Building your own bee hive is easy and fun. Creating a wood nest is a good place to start—wood-nesting bees don’t sting! Simply take a non-pressure treated block of wood and drill holes that are 3/32 inch to 5/16 inch in diameter and about 5 inches deep and wait for the bees to arrive.*

Saving the Honeybees is so important. Chemical use in gardens and farmlands really cause a problem. I do not use chemicals in my gardens and try to use flowering plants that honey bees love. Hyssop is another plant that I have found the honey bees just love. So many plants to use…......so little time…

I had heard rumblings about the bees for a while, but I have to admit it was the ice cream that led me to the sweet, sweet truth…I saw an ad for the Haagen Dazs Loves Honey Bees campaign and went to their website. First, let me say, it is adorable. It’s a great way to get people interested and involved in what’s going on and better yet, you can help by simply buying ice cream at the very least. After looking into the subject more, I was hooked. The most important read, I believe is the article that the New York Times wrote which explains more detail about the movements across the country of beekeepers with their colonies and the crops they support, and more technical aspects about what happened with the bee mites and the treatments to prevent the mites weakening the colonies…and so forth.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/business/27bees.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
My next logical step was to start looking into what I could do to help in my own small way. Fortunately I have a pretty hefty green thumb, although only an end townhouse to work with. It’s something though – I already have loads of campanula and a lilac bush, lamb’s ears, dusty miller and cranesbill geranium which all have blooms that attract bees. I wonder if my hydrangea is a good deal too? I have a whole row of them. Well, I’ll be adding some more flowers in the back – maybe I’ll do a herb based theme back there with thyme, sage, lavender and rosemary…

Seems like there is no union of Honey Bee’s, or maybe there is?

Seems like we’ve taken nature for granted, and she’s (as in Queen Bee) pissed. Why keep working for a bunch of bosses that treat you like… Capitalism run amok, and we don’t see anything wrong with this picture. Well my Friends… someone does, and she’s the Queen and doesn’t have to answer to any bosses.

I plan to study Applied Plant Science, while minoring in entomology for my Undergrad at the University of Minnesota. Upon that degree’s completion, I will be applying to the entomology department at the U of M, with plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Entomology. My focus will be on honeybee research.

.. I am ticking this as done. I have learned a lot about our beautiful bees, and I am doing my very best to keep them well and healthy on our property. They have an abundance of blossoms, and I am noticing with the warmer weather, they are out in full flight – beautiful indeed. I will remain vigilant as I still would like to make my own honey from the bees on our land…...

But I helped illustrate their plight. See my related goal

Most of my plants did ok while I was in NY.
The hubby seemed to think that fog and dew would keep them alive, so many of them died off.

The flowers have all started blooming up a storm since I’ve gotten back and had that time to make sure they’re watered 2 or 3x/week.

The bees are seemingly happy. They love the lavender especially, and the honeysuckle and jasmine.

So, for my part…I’m doing what I can for them bee-fellas.

I’m gonna mark this done (considering it done for my block, not even my neighborhood or city…the problem still remains, but I’ll continue to do what I can for my bees)

interesting article on our precious honeybees

Using Spearmint And Lemongrass To Protect Bees From Mites That Threaten Hives
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070518144833.htm