How You Can Help Save The Bees!

• Plant a Bee-Friendly Garden. For bees to carry out the pollination process, they need lots of nectar. One of the best ways you can help the honeybee population is by giving them more flowers! Honeybees love most flowers, but they’re particularly attracted to the following: lavender, sage, cilantro, thyme, fennel, crocus, buttercup, aster, hollyhocks, snowdrops, geraniums, Calendula, Alyssum, Poppy, Sunflowers, Zinnias, Cleomes, and Heliotropes. And don't worry about the "pesky weeds" in your grass (clover, dandelion, star thistle). These "weeds" are a very important early spring nectar source vital to honeybees. Check out 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, or head to your local nursery for suggestions!
• Don’t use pesticides. Pesticides are thought to be the number one reason for Colony Collapse Disorder, a phenomenon where millions of bees have been disappearing all over the world. Before you spray your yard with harmful pesticides, think twice! You could be saving thousands of lives.
• Support Your Local Beekeepers. By buying local honey, you’re helping out the beekeeper and honeybees! The more honey a beekeeper can sell, the more hives he will be able to maintain and take care of. Check out your local farmer's markets to find local honey.
• Start Your Own Beehive: There’s no better way to help save the bees than to help increase the bee population! Keeping a beehive is not as labor intensive as you may believe. While you will need to read up and learn how to properly keep your bees, the actual process of checking a hive only needs to be done about once every two weeks. Plus, there’s nothing like having your own (EXTREMELY local!) backyard honey.
• Spread the word. Honeybees can’t talk, so it’s up to you to help speak on their behalf! Tell your friends and family about the importance of honeybees or take a few minutes to sign some online petitions! 

Tag us in your photos and show us your pollinator gardens this spring!