5 Tips to Help Save Native Honeybees
World Honeybee Day is celebrated every third Saturday in August. This holiday celebrates the importance of bees and their beauty. Bees play a crucial role in our world, and this holiday celebrates their importance.
The world would undergo significant ecological and agricultural changes if honeybees did not exist. Honey bees are crucial pollinators that play a vital role in the reproduction of many plants, including numerous crops that make up a significant portion of the global food supply. In short, we NEED honeybees!
Protecting native honeybees is essential for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem health. Here are five ways you can contribute to their conservation:
Avoid Pesticides and Herbicides
Minimize or eliminate pesticides and herbicides in your garden or outdoor spaces. Avoid applying pesticides to flowering plants, particularly insecticides and miticides. Avoid pesticide drift to nearby blooming plants, including weeds. These chemicals can harm not only native honeybees but also other pollinators and beneficial insects. Embrace natural pest management strategies and use organic alternatives to protect your plants without compromising bee health.
Plant Native and Bee-Friendly Plants
Organize your garden or green space to create a bee-friendly habitat by planting various native flowering plants. Throughout the year, native honeybees rely on native plants for nectar and pollen. Select multiple plants with different bloom times to ensure a continuous food source throughout the year.
Support Sustainable Agriculture
Purchase locally produced, organic, and sustainably grown foods whenever possible. Provide natural habitats to pollinators and support farmers and producers who use bee-friendly practices.
Support Pollinator-Friendly Policies
Advocate for local and national policies that protect pollinators. Encourage reducing pesticide use in public spaces, planting pollinator-friendly plants, and preserving natural bee habitats—for example, the Pollinator Protection Pledge.
Raise Awareness and Educate
Organize workshops, talks, or informational events to share knowledge about honey bees, their role in ecosystems, and ways to protect them.
Additional resources:
Watch and share EMA Board Member Ronen Rubinstein's message to save the bees!