Saving the Bees
In North Carolina alone we are losing between 30-40% of our bee population every winter. Studies show that losing anything above 15% is unsustainable and will inevitably lead to severe environmental consequences. Bees are responsible for pollinating 73 of our top 100 grown crops in the United States. Included in that 73 are some favorites such as coffee, chocolate, and strawberries; essentially, without bees we lose all 73 varieties of these vital food sources.
It’s likely you’ve heard about how important our buzzing, fuzzy friends are, but it’s common not to know why they’re in trouble or even what actually works to help them. Let’s straighten a few things out and add back in some of the hope we’re all looking for. There are a few specific reasons why our pollinating bee populations have been on the decline, and even more unproven theories. To keep it simple I’ll simply supply the largest factors and how they connect with each other. Industrial, large scale agricultural non-organic farming practices, small scale non-organic gardening, household pesticide and herbicide usage, habitat loss, and excessive competition from foreign pollinators.
First and foremost we have the Industrial large scale agriculture which tends to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind when saving the bees comes up. This is for good reason, as industrial agriculture covers a lot of ground- over a third of all viable growing land on the planet actually. The majority of this land is not organic. Non-organic agriculture lends to the mass use of glyphosate which is primarily found in Round-up pesticide products. Round up ready crops such as corn and soy are regularly sprayed and coated in this glyphosate compound to reduce insects for a theoretical increase in crop yields per acre. Despite being a complete fallacy and actually decreasing crop yields, Glyphosate is continuously used as a standard of “pest” control. So what’s the big deal?
Bees. They’re the big deal. Glyphosate has been proven time and time again to have a direct affect on the honey bee populations that pollinate those same crops. Glyphosate is engineered to target a specific bacteria that the bees carry in their intestinal tract. When the pesticide enters the system of the pollinator, it proceeds to kill off the immune system through the loss of their gut microbiome. Much like losing your own gut microbiome due to an extensive bout of antibiotics leaving you susceptible to illness and autoimmune diseases. What would happen to you if you were on a string of antibiotics that never ended? You’d lose your ability to fight off pathogens and disease, and your immune system would be eradicated entirely. The common cold could become a death sentence.
But don’t start hating these farmers for harming natures little helpers with these pesticides without keeping in mind that many of them simply don’t know the effect they have on our bee populations. Roundup was- and is- advertised as perfectly safe for humans, animals, and wildlife. Much like how cigarettes were advertised as safe with doctors as spokesmen and advocates. We didn’t know any better, and thought we were helping. Now we know better, so we can start helping spread the word and sharing helpful information on how to make steps in the right direction.
You’d think that the small amounts of Roundup used in your neighbors backyard on those persistent dandelions and lamb’s quarters would be small potatoes in comparison. Unfortunately, you’d be mistaken. Farmers have a strict budget to follow, and a deadline to make a profit by. They want the amount of pesticides they purchased to cover as many acres as possible for as many sprays as they’ll need to finish the growing season. A profit needs to be made. In Joe’s backyard there is simply some pesky weeds that look ugly on the otherwise well maintained lawn. Without a bottom line to think about the liberal application of glyphosate occurs unnoticed. Roundup is the largest and most popular pesticide in residential use as well as industrial. We can’t all point the finger at big Ag while simultaneously dousing our homes in a thick film of the same compounds.
Okay, we get it. The bees need our help and we all want to get involved. The easiest way is to make sure we buy lots of organic honey right? Well no, it’s not quite that easy. Not to worry though, for I’m not about to tell you that being a bee keeper is the answer either. Buying honey - even organic honey- does not guarantee or even suggest that you’re buying an ethical honey (or even actual honey at all). Tests have indicated that the majority of honey sold on the market is synthetic lookalikes subbed in the make a profit. These fake honeys have saturated the market to such an extent that actual large scale bee keepers have no way of knowing whether the real honey they produce isn’t filled in with synthetics by the time it makes it into your tea cup.
Skipping the middle man and becoming a bee keeper yourself logically should help the bees, avoid pesticides, ensure ethical bee treatment, and guarantee a real end product. It certainly can! However, not everyone can- or wants to- be a beekeeper. Not to mention part of the problem with bee decline is the insertion of new bees into a local area, therein creating extensive habitat and food competition for the indigenous pollinator populations. It’s not all doom and gloom, as there is a simple and reasonable solution here we can all be a part of.
Find a small scale, local Beekeeper that you can purchase your honey from directly. Ask them a few questions to ensure they’re not practicing those negative systems on their own small scale operation. First, ask them if they’re organic and can ensure you that they do not let the bees travel into areas sprayed with glyphosate such as a nearby corn or soy field. If they’re certified organic, but have no control over the bees traveling to that field across the road it’s still a better option than store bought. Next inquire about what they feed the bees to make up for the lost honey reserves in their honeycombs. If they harvest ALL of the honey and feed them a synthetic liquid such as sugar water then run away quickly. Just like trying to live off of Coca-cola alone would likely cause severe health issues in Humans, bees require a complex diet to stay healthy and keep our planet well maintained.
Arguably the most important question is if they practice culling- or if they “cull the hive” in the fall or winter. To avoid the icky topic of how this actually happens I’ll simply put that they will kill off the hive to avoid the costs of keeping them alive through the harsh cold seasons. If they’re local, organic, free of nearby pesticide use, leave them enough honey to sustain, but cull the hive for winter each year then it’s a hard NO from me. There is really no excuse or monetary gain worth the murdering of the fuzzy friends we’re trying to help by being bee-keepers in the first place.
Last but not least is whether they’ve been able to use a wild caught hive. This is rare to find, but is the most ideal way to get honey and support bee keeper that actually helps the bees thrive in their hive. By catching the queen and relocating the hive to a protected and maintained environment, we can create a symbiotic relationship with the buzzy insects. As well, by using wild caught bees from the same local area we avoid excessive competition added into our local environment. Of course, if you do not have access to local, small scale, organic, pesticide free, well fed, well loved, wild caught honey, it’s okay! Find the best source in your area that you feel comfortable and safe enjoying and supports local businesses.
Not everyone likes honey, or chooses not to use honey for moral or ethical reasons. There is still a wonderful way to get involved! There are many organizations that work directly to combat bee decline in the US and Internationally. Many non-profits focus at the state level to combat pesticide and glyphosate use such as Environment NC, who I worked with to raise $250,000 in 2019. The Washington state university has a bee research campaign focused on perfecting a mycelium that can boost the immune system of the honey bee. By doing this we can help them fight off mites and illnesses after exposure to glyphosate and other pesticide products. Helping these organizations do their amazing work is the perfect way to help in a less direct way!
At Love and Sunshine Farm we’ve partnered up with the WSU bee research campaign (http://bees.wsu.edu/) so that every purchase donates a quarterly portion to their work on immune boosting mycelium. I knew helping the bees needed to be a part of our farm from day one, and I’m overjoyed to have the opportunity to extend the opportunity to get involved to the local community as well. Order today, and together we can create a bright and fruitful future for us and our little fuzzy friends.
