By Ariel Colhoun Passionate about increasing the sphere of influence for women & driving positive change.
Bring Back The Bees
The urgent and critical need to bring back the bees is not a new topic. Year after year we have seen the decline even with all the awareness campaigns. According to the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), "Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) was first reported in 2006. Beekeepers began reporting high colony losses where the adult honeybees simply disappeared from the hives, almost all at the same time. There were few if any, dead bees found in or around the hives. The queen and immature bees (brood) were often found in the hives with plenty of food stores, inadequately attended by a few adult bees."
What Causes Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)?
What causes Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)? The simple answer is - it's a complex problem with many causes and bee populations are vulnerable. NPIC states that "CCD is believed to be complex and a result of multiple factors. One study evaluated 61 factors and found that no single stressor stood out as the primary cause of CCD. However, colonies affected by CCD had more pathogens and more types of pathogens than colonies without CCD. Pathogens are disease-causing organisms. A group of stakeholders that gathered in 2012 found a similar consensus, that a complex group of stressors and pathogens are associated with CCD."
They Need Us & We Need Them
According to Cheerios, "1 in 3 bites of food is pollinated by bees. They need us, and we need them" and it's up to us to take the necessary steps needed to preserve and sustain these essential pollinators of our food for the future.
So what can we do? The most simple and effective way to bring back the bees is to plant more bee-friendly flowers. According to The Conversation, "At the global level, to preserve our bees we have to improve the environments in which they collect food. Every small action can make a difference. Planting flower borders with bee-friendly flowers in your garden can provide food for both wild and domestic bees. You can reduce or eliminate the use of herbicides or pesticides when gardening. Even mowing the lawn less often can help bees out."
Do your part this holiday season and throughout the year - give the gift that gives back to our own planet - the gift of, not only bee awareness but start planting seeds to bring the bees back.
Here are a few ideas to get you started ...
Beautiful 133 lined page 6"x9" notebooks with matte covers. Slim & easy to carry. The classic sleek style makes them perfect for writing or note-taking for work, school, traveling, exercise, personal diary, or everyday notes, wishes, dreams, goals & ideas!
Choose a sunny location to plant your seeds (when in bloom your sunflowers will face east).
Plant seeds 1" in the ground, and 18"-24" apart. If planting more than one row, plant rows 30" apart.
Keep moderately moist until germination (10-14 days).
We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines (Author), Julianna Swaney (Illustrator)
"You and your children can learn all about the Gaines family's story of becoming gardeners in Joanna's first children’s book—starting with the first little fern Chip bought for Jo. Over the years, the family's love for gardening blossomed into what is now a beautiful, bustling garden."
All posts are intended strictly for educational purposes. It is not intended to make any representations or warranties about the outcome of any product/service.
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