In honor of International Bee Day, on Saturday, May 20th, I'm going to share another way that you can help the bees to survive and thrive.
As you probably already know, bees are essential not only to the flowers we love, but also to much of the food we eat.
Not long ago, bees were actually given the title of the most important beings on earth! This declaration is no joke -- seventy percent of the world's agriculture depends exclusively on bees, according to Intelligent Living, a very informative site where you can find a wide variety of information on everything from the environment to technology.
The bad news: the world's bee population has experienced a dramatic decline in the last several years. It is vital that we do what we can to support them and keep them from becoming extinct.
The good news: there are things you and I can do to make a positive difference.
Today let's talk about one of the easiest ways to help bees.
Create a Bee Bath
Just like us, bees work up a thirst while doing their important work of looking for and collecting nectar. We can help.
1. Find a shallow bird bath or bowl (I'm using a drainage plate that goes under a plant pot).
2. Fill this with clean water.
3. Fill your container with rocks, stones, and/or pebbles, making sure that they break the water's surface.
Now you've made a bee bath where the bees can land on your rocks and have a nice long, safe drink, and more.
A few other tips from Jen at the Kitchen Counter Chronicles (which is a great resource for activities, green living ideas, recipes and so much more):
- bees not only need water to drink, but also to bathe in, and to take back to the hive to keep the environment cool,
- the best location for your bee bath is in a sunny garden spot near your lovely flowering plants,
- when adding your water, don't fill your bath too full so that you keep bees safe from drowning,
- remember to check your bee bath regularly and refill when needed -- the water often evaporates quickly.
Another International Bee Day may be behind us, but we need to keep doing our part to save the bees! And remember that a percentage of every purchase you make at Zuzi's Petals & Pics goes to The Save the Bees Foundation.
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