Bee Aware

The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

June Issue 104

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www.thenewsyneighbour.com

It’s summertime in Southern Alberta, and as we coast into the month of June, the signs of the season are all around us: the days are getting nice and warm, the evenings long and lazy, and suddenly it doesn’t seem like such a crazy idea to leave the house in short sleeves. One thing you might not hear as often this summer, though, is the buzzing of busy bees as they float from flower to flower. That’s because bee populations have been in a steep decline for years now, both in Canada and around the world. This past year, however, saw an even more dramatic drop in bee populations than in recent years, as U.S. beekeepers reported a 44% loss of total colonies from April 2015-March 2016. Yikes.

This number is pretty scary for a couple of different reasons; first and foremost being the sheer staggering loss that this percentage represents – nearly half of all total existing colonies. This is an increase on top of the losses reported the year before, which were a recorded 40.6% decrease from 2014-2015. The second reason for concern is the pattern in which these losses occurred throughout the year. Beekeepers expect to experience some colony decline throughout the winter, but are usually able to make up the losses in the spring and summer, when bees are at their healthiest. Unfortunately, this past winter saw colony losses that far exceeded any normal, acceptable levels of decline. Even more troubling is that losses during the summer months – when bees and their colonies should be at their strongest – were comparable to those experienced during the winter, leaving many beekeepers understandably anxious.

Finally, that 44% loss is worth worrying about because in many ways, we utterly depend on bees. These helpful insects are hugely responsible for pollinating an overwhelming amount of the crops that we need to grow to keep our grocery stores stocked and our pantries full, including apples, almonds, coffee, and many other fruits and vegetables. It would be fair to estimate that at least 33% of the food we eat on a daily basis is thanks to bees helping us grow it.

That all sounds pretty upsetting, but we have big reason to be hopeful. That’s because there’s a solution to all of this, one that we can all take part in to turn things around for our fuzzy, winged friends: we all need to plant flowers. Wildflowers, specifically, and lots of them! One of the biggest contributing factors to bees dying out is that they’re having a harder and harder time finding the varieties of native flowers they rely on for nutrition, so it’s up to us to pitch in and help them out. Many garden centres are selling seed packets with a mix of different wildflowers specifically meant to attract and provide nutrition for bees. If you can’t find any of these mixes, some good, bee-friendly flowers to start with are poppies, marigolds, dahlias, forget-me-nots, asters, and hyssops. You don’t need any special soil: if weeds or grass can grow there, these hearty wildflowers should have no problems blooming. That being said, be sure to keep your wildflower garden weed-free, so that your flowers are free to bloom and grow without competition. If we all do our part and take a moment to plant some wildflowers, we’ll not only be helping the bees through a difficult time, but we’ll be creating beautiful, colourful spaces within our homes and neighbourhoods as well. So get out there, grab a shovel and some seeds, and start planting wildflowers today!