Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds are increasingly under threat from climate change, pesticide usage, loss of biodiversity, and other human-made problems. But what is really at risk if we lose these hardworking creatures?
How Bees Impact the Food Chain
Photo © Oro Whitley
Pollination is an essential part of the survival of ecosystems and our food chain. The United Nations reports that more than 75% of the world's food crops and 35% of global agricultural land rely on pollinators.
According to the FDA, bees are one of the hardest agricultural working forces in the United States. In the U.S. alone, they account for around $15 billion worth of agricultural work every year. Worldwide, bees have an impact worth $235 to $577 billion.
Bees are under threat. According to the United Nations, the extinction rates for bees are 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal due to human impact. Without bees, we risk global food insecurity and loss of biodiversity.
How Can You Help Protect Pollinators?
Plant Flowers
One of the easiest ways you can help bees is to plant flowers, bee-friendly trees and other forage. By choosing native plants that bloom throughout the year, you can give these important insects more opportunities to pollinate.
Leave the Leaves
Bees thrive with a little bit of wild. By not raking up your leaves, you can give bees a place to hide from predators and stay protected from the elements. Be sure not to shred the leaves either, as this can kill insect eggs or larvae. If you can’t stand the mess, raking your leaves into neat piles can still provide the same benefits, while staying tidy. And don’t be afraid of weeds. Though dandelions and clovers can be considered unsightly, they offer a great resource for hungry pollinators.
Consider a Lawn-Alternative
When natural habitats are replaced by grass, it may look aesthetically pleasing but offers nothing to pollinators. Often, a grass lawn also requires significant upkeep with chemicals like pesticides that cause harm to plants, insects, and animals. By replacing part or all of your lawn with a native species, like clover, creeping thyme, or other groundcover, you are not only saving yourself time and money for lawn care but are also providing a thriving ecosystem for bees and pollinators.
Stop Using Pesticides
Pesticides, including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides, are incredibly harmful to bees, humans, and the environment. One way they harm bees is by causing enormous damage to their nervous system, and permanently weakening their immune system. According to Xerces Society, more than 90% of pollen samples from bee hives are contaminated with more than one pesticide. The only solution to the negative impact these chemicals have on bees and the environment is to reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides.
How is Greater Good Charities Working to Protect Bees?
Photo © Greater Good Charities
We are committed to protecting Bees and other important pollinators around the world as part of our planet initiative. After Hurricane Ian devastated Florida, we rushed emergency supplies of sugar syrup and pollen replacement to help these essential creatures recover from the storm.
In Ukraine, beekeepers have fled their homes and abandoned their hives, leaving the bees vulnerable to starvation, disease and the lethal parasite verona mites. In order to help these beekeepers rebuild, Greater Good Charities has distributed more than 20,000 pounds of bee pollen substitute and 97,000 pounds of sugar to Ukrainian beekeepers.
Photo © Oro Whitley
We continue to find ways to support beekeepers and bees across the world through education, grants, product donations, and more.
Continued intervention is critical to help save these hardworking creatures and the people who depend on them. Donate now to help us save the bees!
