16 Things You Can Do to Save the Bees

Dear fellow bee lovers,

Why do the bees matter? It’s simple, without them, we wouldn't be able to grow nutritious foods like most fruits, vegetables & nuts. Since bees pollinate most of the plants eaten by animals, without them, you'd say goodbye to meat & dairy, too. Not only will that make our plates boring, but will also compromise our health – and in turn, our survival.

What can you do about it? It can be overwhelming, so we made it simple. Here are 16 things you can do to help save the bees. Bonus: the first 10 are easy and take just a few minutes.

1. Let the dandelions & creeping charlie grow, zero minutes

2. Leave sections of your yard natural – perfectly manicured lawns are harmful to bees, zero minutes

3. Keep your lawn chemical-free, zero minutes

4. Hang a bird feeder filled with sunflower seeds, and let the grass below it grow – you'll see flowers in a few months, five minutes

5. Seed bomb your yard, five minutes

6. Fill a birdbath and make it bee friendly, five minutes

7. Drink mead, ten minutes

8. Overseed your lawn with dutch white clover, 20 minutes

9. Plant herbs in a pot and let them flower, one hour

10. Build (or buy) a bee hotel, a few hours

Ready to take the next steps? Here are 6 more ways you can commit to helping the bees:

11. Read a book about bees, several hours

12. Plant native flowering trees (examples: willows, maples, fruit trees), several hours

13. Grow various flowering plants so there’s always something blooming, (plants good for bees are also good for you!!!), several hours

14. Eat only locally-grown food & drink – organic when possible, many hours

15. Replace your lawn with a native perennial wildflower prairie, 2 to 3 years

16. Become a beekeeper, a lifetime of learning

What is one thing you can add to your plate this year? At home, we’re hanging bird feeders, growing a larger herb & vegetable garden, and continuing to re-wild our lawn.

Want to learn more about the why’s and how’s of this list? Bee.here Sunday, March 13th at 2pm for a Re-Wilding Talk – and pick up a seed bomb – with Herbalist Caitlin McCabe & Beekeeper Ayla Guild, VMD.

As always, let’s drink to saving the bees!

Ayla & Tim