Well Hello Friday

Wishing You A BEE-UTIFUL Summer!

Bumblebee Trouble

The honey bee is in serious trouble and a recent article by National Geographic explains that their cousins, the bumblebees, have contracted some trouble of their own. According to a study titled: "Disease Association Between Honeybees and Bumblebees As a Threat To Wild Pollinators", two diseases found in honey bees, Deformed Wing Virus and Nosema Ceranae, have spread to the bumblebees. These two pathogens have been referred to as a common contributor to colony collapse disorder in honey bees in both North America and Europe. Scientists in this study examined whether or not bumblebees were capable of contracting DWV (a virus) or Nosema Ceranae (a fungus) the experiment revealed that they could. The second step in the study was to examine bumblebees in 26 locations throughout Great Britain to determine whether the infections in local honey bees had crossed over to the wild bumblebee population. The results did not confirm that the honey bees were the cause of the transfer but 11 percent of the bumblebees tested did have DWV and 7 percent tested positive for Nosema Ceranae. The results of this study confirm that honey bee pollinators are not the only species of bee we need to keep an eye on. This is yet another opportunity to take action and get involved to save the bees.

Build Your Own Hive

There are numerous books, guides, videos and more to help you master the art of beekeeping. Ask any beekeeper and you will be amazed at their excitement and satisfaction from picking up such a worthy hobby. Get creative with your hive and have fun! Check out this video with beekeeper William Alldis on how to assemble your hive.

We know there are some solutions to saving the bees. We can plant flowers, buy organic, support local keepers, start beekeeping at home, and demand the EPA to discontinue the use of harmful pesticides and insecticides. So lets say you want to start beekeeping. You might be asking yourself where do I begin? What equipment and supplies will I need? Let's take a look!

• A smoker to calm and settle the bees
• A hive tool to assist in opening hives and moving frames
• A hive stand serving as the base to keep the hive dry and increase air flow
• A bottom board that sits on top of the hive stand
• Hive bodies as brood and storage for bee food
• Frames for holding brood and honey
• Supers for bees to store the honey
• A queen excluder which will eliminate the queen from entering the supers
• A feeder to provide food for the bees
• Protective clothing 
• And of course BEES! search online for local providers

Stop The Madness!

The company Bayer is a giant in the chemical production world and they are furious about the recent European ban that eliminates the use of their pesticides for two years. Despite the fact that their chemical pesticides are contributing to the decline in the bee population and threatening the future food supply of the world, they have filed a lawsuit against the European Commission in hopes they will overturn the decision. If you want to put an end to the Bayer lawsuit, sign the petition and let your voice be heard.

Help Is On The Way

Maybe the saying is true that one man/woman can't make a difference, but what if millions of people could stand together to change the world? If you knew that you could help save a species that is responsbile for feeding 1 in 3 people and accounts for 50-80 percent of the global food supply would you do it? Perhaps it isn't a matter of whether or not you would, but how you would. Just recently I came across an organization that is truly making a difference in world of food consumption and sustainability. Food Tank sums up their mission like this: "The Food Tank Think Tank is for the 7 billion people who have to eat every day. We will offer solutions and environmentally sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty by creating a network of connections and information for all of us to consume and share". Sounds pretty great, and the information they are sharing is unbelievably valuable. The reason I was drawn to their website was because of the attention they are bringing to 13 organizations that are actively pursuing solutions to saving the honey bees.

The Enemy Revealed

There is simply no debating the fact that the honey bee population is in steady decline. As Sanya Friedman said "Recognizing a problem is the first step to solving it". We understand now that a problem exists, but who is behind the creation of such a devastating problem? In a previous post I touched on the fact that the most significant influence to the decline in the honey bee population comes from the use of neonicotinoids on crops. What are neonicotinoids? Neonicotinoids are a neuro-active insecticide similar to the chemical nicotine. Shell company began development of this chemical insecticide in the early 1980s and has grown to be the most widely used insecticide throughout the world today. These types of insecticides are used on commercial crops and ornamental plants which leave a chemical residue in pollen and nectar which is extremely harmful to bees. I recently read an article on Mother Nature Network revealing that these insecticides are not only harmful for insects, but may pose a health risk for people, especially children. As a matter of fact the European Union has previously warned the people of the potential health risks associated with these products for bees. If that doesn't gain your attention you should know that the EPA is currently reviewing this type of insecticide for potential environment safety issues. Yikes! So why is it that nothing has been done to start fixing the problem? Well actually something significant has happened! A report published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) made it clear that neonicotinoids posed a major risk to bees and made a recommendation that these insecticides not be used on crops that are attractive to bees. The response by the European Commission was a two year continent wide suspension of these insecticides. A major win for bees and their supporters! The next step is to draw attention to these findings and implore the United States to follow suit. I understand the potential losses in profits but can we really afford to lose the entire honey bee species? I think not. The time to act is now and now is as good a time as any! I do believe we can begin to fix this issue by creating a collective strategy to design and implement new safer forms of insect prevention and crop production. These companies may have created the problem but it doesn't mean they can't help correct it. I will leave you with this... “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. -Nelson Mandela

How Can I Make A Difference?

You may be asking yourself how you can help make a difference. There is much to do but it will be worth every ounce of the effort you contribute. Below I have offered a few suggestions of what you can do to help rebuild and contribute for a brighter healthier tomorrow!

1. Reduce or eliminate the use of harmful pesticides. From the early 1970s to today, pesticides have continued to be the number 1 contributor to the rapid decline of the honey bee. It all starts here!

2. Do your best to purchase and consume healthy, natural, organic food. Organically grown foods are grown without the use of harmful pesticides and serve as a natural bee friendly environment.

3. Get active in the pursuit of decreasing the amount of deforestation in your area and across the globe. Honey bees prefer to build their hives in the tops of very large trees. Bees require water just like the rest of us in order to digest food and dilute honey. Large trees provide the necessary supply to sustain large colonies of bees.

4. Grow bee friendly flowers and crops in your own garden. Bees are pollinators and they need a place to go and pollinate. You can personally provide a rich bee friendly garden right in your back yard.

5. Lend your support to bee keepers in your area! Now that you have a little better understanding of the importance bees have on the sustainability of our food supply, show your support. Buy products like honey from your local bee keepers!

6. Become a bee keeper yourself! This may not "bee" your cup of tea, but it is one way to ensure that bees won't  become extinct on your watch!

There are a number of ways you can become active in your community. The first step in any process is to gain a greater understanding and gather as much information as you can get your hands on. Stay up to date on current news related to the decline of the honey bee and spread the word to everyone you know! The more people that are aware of the issue, the more likely we are to succeed in protecting these remarkably beautiful contributors of life! 

You can make a difference!

Bees Bring It All Together

Have you ever taken a bite out of bright red apple and said "Boy those bees make a delicious meal"? Probably not, but you may need to take a closer look at the brilliance of nature's top chefs! Honeybees are the hidden force that drives our food supply and graciously pollinates more than 100 different crops in the United States alone. They are responsible for feeding nearly 1 in 3 American mouths every single day and their contributions bring more than $14 BILLION in crop revenue. I would venture to guess that the majority of Americans are unaware of how important these little creatures are. When we think of bees, or come in contact with one, we have a natural instinct to run the other way or hurl our shoe across the room in hopes of ending the existence of that little horrifying insect. I have no desire to be stung by a flying nightmare, and I'm sure you would rather kick the night stand walking barefoot in the dark than to have to endure the sting of a bee. The fact of the matter is we are in for a much more painful sting should we lose the honeybee population... and that is exactly what's happening.
The honey bee population has been on an accelerating decline for years now in large part to harmful pesticides such as neonicotinoids and deforestation which destroys trees in which they live. There is also a widespread phenomena known as Colony Collapse Disorder that has rapidly destroyed more than 30% of the global bee populations annually. These threats are very serious and have reached the point of a major threat level. Think of it this way, according to a report published on Fox News, if bees go extinct you can kiss many of our favorite foods goodbye including; apples, almonds, blueberries, cherries, avocados, cucumbers, onions, oranges, pumpkins and grapefruit. These are just ten of the nearly 100 crops that bees contribute to. We haven't even talked about the flowers these little guys help grow. Who wants to live in a world where food becomes more scarce than a Van Gogh painting? In all reality, who can live in a world with no food? You guessed it...Nobody! Now is the time to get more involved and start playing a more active role as protector to the honeybee population that has so lovingly given life to our planet and its occupants!