This month is 'Bee Aware Month' in New Zealand the focus is on how important bees are for pollinating food and other products we consume.
Why are Bees So Important?
Imagine the world without strawberries, kiwifruit, apples, nuts, chocolate or even denim jeans! These are all foods and products pollinated by bees! Without bees, a huge 2/3 of our food would disappear.
Bees around the world and especially in NZ cannot survive without our help, and in turn, we wouldn't survive without them. Albert Einstein said, “If the Bee Disappeared Off the Face of the Earth, Man Would Only Have Four Years Left To Live". So not only do bees produce a wonderful, natural food source, they also play a significant role in supporting our food chain.
How Can Everyone Help?
- One of the easiest things we can do is to plant bee-friendly gardens both in urban and rural areas. Bees need food so they can help pollinate our food. Bees will forage on these flowers for nectar and pollen which provide carbohydrates and protein for growth and energy. Well-nourished bees are more capable of fending off disease and parasites.
- You can purchase wildflower seeds here that are proven bee favourites.
- Provide a shallow pond in your garden for bees to land on the edges to collect water. There are some great ideas in this blog
Find out what else we can do to protect our bees
Buy local and support your local beekeeper
