Yesterday I spent a few minutes outside with my "almost 8 year old" great-grandson (he has already started to remind me that his 8th birthday is only a few weeks away) watching a solitary, tiny bee checking out the fading wild flowers poking up through the grass in his yard. We stood very still and watched how industrious and thorough this little guy was as he sailed from one flower to another. Eventually he took off for a spot across the yard which seemed to offer better pickings. My great-grandson, who has the vocabulary of an adult, was thrilled. "I've never been able to see a bee working close up like that for my entire life. That was amazing!"
Yes, dear one, it is amazing to watch our garden friends at work. I say "friends" because without the bees, we would not have gardens, not to mention a good portion of our food. Over the years that I gardened on a large scale, and even recently, I have taken a closer look at the importance of all kinds of wildlife in our gardens and in our world. A very dear friend recently sent me an article from the June-July 2021 issue of "National Wildlife" magazine about honey bees and how their existence affects other types of bees as well.
It is no secret that the decline in pollinators has become a subject for concern and a number of people are doing their part by creating hives for the hone bees on their properties so the bees will have a safe place to live and produce, but in some ways that may not be helping them, not to mention all the other types of bees that are also important to our food productions and maintaining plant life. For instance, the more honey bees there are, which aren't currently at risk of extinction, the fewer native bees of North America. Most native bees do not live collectively in hives but are solitary bees that live in nests carved out of wood, soil, or hollow plant stems. Bumble bees are especially important because they are the ones who are facing extinction the most and who are the ones that pollinate various vegetables like tomatoes. The culprits? Pesticides, disease, loss of habitat due to over farming and destruction of forests and open land for building and industrial purposes, not to mention climate change. With so many honey bees out there dominating the landscape, the other bees have a harder time foraging for food which in turn also cuts down on the number of native bees.
So, what can we do as gardeners, wildlife enthusiasts, and just plain old concerned citizens? Plant bee friendly gardens. Plant your gardens with a diversity of native plants that offer blooming and foliage throughout all the seasons. To give them a safe place to nest, leave a few bare patches of soil and, if safe, a fallen log and some dead leaves. Let some thick plant stems stand through the winter without cutting them back. Most of all, never, never use pesticides in your gardens or decorative plantings outdoors. There are plenty of websites that offer natural alternatives and steps you can take to control the insects that eat your garden instead of nourishing it.
Yes, my dear great-grandson, it is a gift to be able to watch a bee do what it is meant to do up-close and personal. May we all do our share so that you will be able to do the same thing with your own children, and remember dear old GiGi (great-grandma) when you do. Peace and blessings.
And so it is.
