What Can I Do to Help the Bees?

If you’re here, you already know that bees are dying in record numbers year after year. The startling statistics keep growing, and our pollinators are disappearing before our eyes. 

You’ve asked yourself what can I do to help the bees and you’ve come to the right place. We’ll explore what is causing bees to die off in alarming numbers every year and provide you with ways to live a “bee-friendly” life and help save bees. They need your help, so any step you take is one in the right direction to help them thrive. 

Bee Health

The ultimate goal is to focus on bee health to help these vital pollinators fend off further population declines. Bees make it possible for us to enjoy a lot of our favorite foods, from apples to peppers! If we listed all the foods bees help pollinate, we’d be here for hours — but It’s important to note that they pollinate three-fourths of all the flowering plants in the world.

With such an important job, their health is vital to keep the process of pollination ongoing. But colony losses are high. There are a number of biological and environmental reasons for bees’ declining health including:

• Pesticides
• Parasites
• Pathogens
• Poor Nutrition

That’s 4 P’s that aren’t great for bees. It has been long overdue for bees to get the help they deserve. For years, the public has taken interest in the interest of bees — and while it has increased research and some state and federal initiatives, there is not being enough done to protect these pollinators — which is why year after year they keep dying off.

How to Save Bees From Dying

Bee colony collapse is not a mystery. While the chemical industry is spending millions to say it’s not their fault  they can’t cover up the fact that their pesticides are driving bee decline. But their PR teams have been working overtime to convince the world that pesticides aren’t part of the problem. We see through it and so do you!

But sadly, biologists have discovered that bee pollen is contaminated with many different toxic pesticides. These chemicals are sprayed every year over forests, grasslands, and farms. 

The toughest solution to help save bees, but one of the biggest ways to help them thrive, is to push state and national officials to:

• Ban dangerous pesticides from agricultural, residential and commercial use
• Preserve wild habitats 
• Support farmers to shift to organic, ecological agriculture

While this might seem like an overwhelming task, there’s power in numbers. Join thousands of other Friends of the Earth activists and use your voice to create change.

How to Help Bees Thrive

Closer to home, there are things you can do to help bees along their journey. If you’re looking to live a bee-friendly life, consider doing the following:

• Grow a bee friendly garden
  • Plant a garden filled with native flowers that have not been treated with chemicals. A vast array of different plants can provide bees numerous options to forage in.
• Give ‘em a little sugar
  • Tired bees sometimes need a little pick-me-up. Mix a teaspoon of water and two teaspoons of white granulated sugar together on a spoon and put it on a plate in your garden. 
• Don’t forget the water
  • Bees can drown in ponds and pools. Place a shallow bowl of water in your garden for your bees to take a sip. 
• Only purchase sustainable honey
  • If you love honey, look for an option that is bee-friendly and beneficial for the bees, but still allows you to enjoy the sweet treat. Choose organic or find a local individual beekeeper with a reputation of sustainability that operates in a pesticide-free area.
• Don’t use any synthetic pesticides in your lawn and garden
  • Bee-toxic pesticides that are sprayed on your lawn or your neighbor’s lawn can kill bees — avoid contamination as best as possible. Look for the label ‘OMRI approved’ at your home and garden store for safe, organic options.
• Skip weeding your garden
  • Many weeds — like milkweed and dandelion — are an excellent food source for not only bees but other pollinators as well.  
• Buy organic
  • Organic farmers grow abundant food without the use of over 900 synthetic pesticides. Research shows that organic farming can help bees and other important creatures thrive.
• Push your grocery retailer to get toxic pesticides out of its supply chain
  • Most grocery stores have a long way to go, check to see how your store measures up. 
• Educate your children and grandchildren about bees
  • Bees and other insects can sometimes be scary for children — making them cry or run. But bees are noting to be scared of. Set aside time to teach the younger generations about how bees provide a vital service to our planet Helping them understand will help them learn about and appreciate our pollinators.

Bee Conservation

In North America, there are over 3,600 bee species. That’s 3,600 species that are at risk from pesticides. Many are already facing the ramifications from rampant pesticide use. These diverse insects need your help to conserve their populations and help preserve their habitats.  

Solutions to Save Bees

We hope the above solutions to save bees gave you plenty of ideas to get started. Some are big, some are small, but all are impactful to help save bees. 

Other things you can consider include:

• Make a donation to Friends of the Earth and help save the bees!
  • We tirelessly work to push major grocery retailers to create pollinator health policies to protect these vital creatures. We also work with legislators to stop chemical giants like Bayer-Monsanto from furthering bee loss.
• Join our email list
  • Friends of the Earth can use your voice, along with the voice of thousands of other people across the nation. Together, we are mighty and can work for change.

So many vital bees are rapidly disappearing. Honeybees and wild bee species are vital pieces of our food system and ecosystems and they need your help. Any action you take to save bees helps them find food, shelter, and protection from pesticides.