Keep the Weeds, Save the Bees

Bees are so much more important to our everyday lives than many of us believe. Bees are pollinators, and they do their job very well. A third of the world’s food production depends on bees, so without them, you can imagine how difficult life would be, especially in less developed regions of the world. We know it’s our responsibility to act now, but it’s also our responsibility to teach our children to value and care for the planet.

However due to environmental impacts, like urban sprawl and climate change we are losing our beloved bees. Urban sprawl is when an urban environment expands outwards towards the countryside. When trees are cut down and fields are taken away by car parks, schools, shopping centers, and housing estates. This is a huge issue in Ireland as there are few regulations in order to stop people from building out. Cities and towns in Ireland should be building up, not out.

So what can we do about it? Whether you have a garden, a balcony, or even a window sill you can help. Here are some ways you can help those busy bees do their job;

Wildflower Patch

Leave your garden, or an area of your garden grow, wildflowers will appear and bees love native flowers.

Let the Weeds Grow

Get involved in your community, Supervalu’s Tidy Town’s for example. Work together to let some weeds grow in your town, maybe along the roads for example. If you don’t live in a town, but along a quiet road make sure you let the weeds grow, as bees love foxgloves and they are popular along quiet Irish roads.

Avoid Fertilizers

Avoid using fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides as all these can be very harmful to bees. Instead, use organic alternatives! For example manure, peat and seaweed are examples of organic fertilizers.

Bee Baths

You may have heard of birdbaths, but what about bee baths? Bee baths allow bees to take a quick water break when they’re out in the hot sun working away pollinating. You can DIY it, just add some stones to your birdbath so that the bees can land on the stones and sip away!

Above are a couple of ideas that you can try today. Even if you don’t have the space you could put a few plants on your window sill that bee’s love! Plants like:

1. Buddleia
2. Verbascum
3. Lavender
4. Salvia
5. Sedum
6. Gayfeather
7. Sunflower
8. Calendula

We can each make small changes in our own homes and towns that’ll make a big difference overall! If your friends or family need gardening inspiration this summer share this with them and let’s start making a difference for the bees and protect the planet for our childrens’ future!

For more useful tips and guides on parenting and childminding check out the SureSitter blog.

By SureSitter