Yesterday I submitted my research update for the paperback edition of THE HIVE DETECTIVES. Phew. But I cannot get honey bees–all bees, actually–out of my head.
According to The Plight of the Bees, a review of the CCD crisis and pollinator issues published last year in Environmental Science & Technology (volume 45, pages 34-38), there are three factors at play in bee declines: 1) bee diseases and parasites, 2) chemical contamination of flowers, nesting sites and nesting materials, and 3) insufficient food sources across the growing season.
There isn’t a whole lot you and I can do about number one, but we can do something about numbers two and three.
What, exactly?
Stop using pesticides on your garden and herbicides on your lawn.
Plant more flowers.
Think about it. And if your an over-achiever, consider helping bees by joining The Great Sunflower Project, too.