I’ve never really been a big fan of bees. I actually have a phobia of creepy crawlies, bees, wasps, etc. Since becoming a parent five and a half years ago, I have had to conquer this phobia somewhat. I certainly don’t want to pass on my irrational fears to my daughters. Therefore, I have developed nerves of steel when confronted by the little critters.

Still, it would have been quite inconceivable ten or so years ago, for me to consider writing an article about saving bees.  However, that is what I am finding myself doing today, as part of a campaign on Bloggers Unite.

The Help The Vanishing Bees campaign asks bloggers:

“To draw attention to the bees. They are vanishing in alarming numbers. With out bees we will have half of the food we need.”

 Over the last couple of decades our bee population has been in rapid decline.  There have been many theories put forward as the cause of this decline:

• environmental damage
• weather conditions
• the parasitic varroa mite
• viral disease
• mobile phone masts
• pesticides
• diminishing forage
• GM crops
• bee-keeping practices

However, as yet, the exact reasons are not conclusively known.  Indeed it is likely to be a combination of these factors that is behind bee colony losses.

Many people may be indifferent to the plight of bees.  They might ask what business it is of theirs that this is happening.  Some, especially those with insect phobias, might in fact be happy to see the back of the bees.  Sadly, though, the declining bee population poses serious threats to our survival.  Some scientists have predicted devastating consequences for humans if bees die out.  At best, our quality of life will suffer.

So what are the implications of the demise of bees?  Their demise has serious implications for food supply and the price of goods.  Bees are important pollinators of flowers and crops.  They pollinate many of the fruit and vegetables eaten by humans and that feed livestock.  The economy will suffer greatly if bees die out.   In the UK, the estimated economic value of crops grown commercially that benefit from bee pollination is approximately £165 million per year.

So what can we do about this?  There are several ways that ordinary people, like you and me, can do our bit in helping to save our bee population:

• Plant bee-friendly plants in your garden, such as cornflower, foxglove and thistle.
• Provide shelter in your garden for bees, such as an area of long grass or densely planted flowers.
• Provide a source of water for bees to drink in your garden.
• Reduce the use of pesticides in your garden.
• Encourage solitary bees to nest in your garden by purchasing a special nestbox.  (For more details visit The International Bee Research Association here or Plan Bee here.) NB: Solitary bees do not swarm and will not sting.
• If you don’t have a garden, perhaps you can plant a bee-friendly windowbox or why not adopt a hive? (For more details visit Adopt A Hive.
• Refrain from purposely killing bees and report swarms to your local authority for safe collection and removal by a qualified bee-keeper.

I am personally going to look into buying a selection of bee friendly plants for my garden, and perhaps installing a nest box for solitary bees.  After all, I may not be the humble bee’s biggest fan, but I do love the delicious honey that honey bees produce, and I do enjoy the wide variety of foods available to me through pollination.  It’s only fair that, in return, I do my best for our fuzzy black and yellow friends!