Bees all around the globe are suffering from colony collapse disorder, a mysterious disease that’s believed to be the cause for the large decline in the European honeybee population.
About 75 percent of all fruit, nut and vegetable plants in this country are pollinated by these insects. There are about 4000 bee species in the United States and Canada; protecting the remaining populations of these and other bees is critical.
Your garden can help these little pollinators out. Make it bee-friendly by:
- Leaving some piles undisturbed for ground dwellers like bumblebees.
- Drilling holes into a piece of wood for mason bees.
- Incorporating dead wood or logs for carpenter bees to build tunnels.
- Growing flowering plants (flat or open-centered flowers are best).
- Avoiding pesticides.
Native bees are constantly busy making our gardens more productive. Let’s help them out by creating a healthy environment for them to flourish and thrive.
