It's amazing to think that the human race and entire ecosystems depend on this little creature for survival, but it's true. We need the bees.
The Bee Conservancy is working to fight ignorance on this issue and help promote saving the bees and other vital pollinators.
The World Wildlife Fund says that about 90% of wild plants and 75% of crops depend on pollinators to fruit or produce. We depend on pollinators for one out of every three bites of our food. Bees are not the only ones - we also have to thank a plethora of flying insects and bats. But historically bees have been the largest group of pollinators we have depended on.
Now with the prevalence of neonicotinoid pesticides in our farming methods, bees are dying at unprecedented rates. We are losing billions of bees per year due to "neonics" and also "colony collapse disorder."
It's so easy to help bees. Don't use pesticides in your garden. Please plant native plants that provide food (nectar and pollen) and cover. Please put up a bee or insect hotel. And please teach your friends and family to stop using chemicals in their gardens.
Be aware that your "pest control" person will mistakenly tell you that pesticides are safe. Pesticides can't distinguish beneficial insects from those we don't want around. No pesticides are safe. The mass dying of the bees and other important insects is the proof.
Please rethink this: insects are NOT pests. They are vital parts of a complex ecosystem that we all depend on.