Help the bees

You may have already heard — bees are in trouble. Green lawns and monocrops have led to massive habitat loss, varroa mites and colony collapse disorder make bees sick, and neonicotinoids and other pesticides poison them. But you can help! 

Here are a few things you can do that are good for the bees:

1. Plant pollinator gardens. A pollinator garden includes plants that produce nectar and pollen. It’s designed to attract pollinator insects like bees and butterflies.
2. Don’t use pesticides! If you want to help the bees, don’t use chemicals that kill them.
3. Embrace an imperfect lawn. Learn to love clover and dandelions. These days, when I see a uniformly green yard with zero weeds, it looks unnatural and unhealthy to me.
4. Buy locally harvested honey.
5. Become a beekeeper yourself. Beekeeping is best for the environment and the bees when it’s done on a small scale.

Read more here:

• Central Maryland Beekeepers Association
• University of Maryland Extension – Pollinator Gardens
• Nature’s Best Hope