Ode to the bee.
Today is World Bee Day, and as a fervent bee-lover, I couldn’t help but draw a quick little illustration to put the spotlight on these wee workers. Important wee workers, at that. Here’s why, plus a couple of tips to successfully celebrate these tiny critters with me.
why bees need protecting.
To put it quite frank? If bees would die out, we’d follow suit. Without their pollination skills, our food produce would be a disaster and our ecosystem would be even more endangered than it already is. Throw in the fact that they’re actually pretty cute, amazingly clever, and down-right impressive little creatures, and it should be a given that we should all chip in to protect them at all cost. A couple of tips on how to do that; right under here!
1. Don’t kill them. Duh.
I know, I know,… Our parents, society, the My Girl movie,… They all used to teach us that bees are super-dangerous because they sting, but unless you’re allergic to those stings, that is about the biggest exaggeration in the existence of parental guidance (in line with spiders being scary, and worms or frogs gross. Don’t fall for it, kids!) I can think of. First-off, a bee won’t sting if you stay calm and respect their buzzing around, because a) the stakes are waaaaay higher for them than for you, and b) they’re just plain nice like that. Secondly, did I mention they’re cute? Because they are. Very.
2. Make your garden bee-friendly.
Plant lots of flowers, sure, but also: don’t rip out everything one would call ‘weeds’. Personally, I don’t believe there is such a thing as ‘weeds’, they’re all pretty to me, but I do get wanting to create a little order in your garden. Just… Don’t rip out everything. If you give Mother Nature some space to do her thing, your garden and the ground on which it grows will remain healthier. Healthy garden = pretty garden = more food for bees = more bees! Also, bumblebees - aka the cutest of bees - often nest underground, so if you really can’t help mowing your garden, check before you start. Want to go next level? Add a bee hotel or a safe water source for our little friends, by filling up a bird-bath or plain saucer with pebbles, sticks, etc… so they can’t drown. Oh, and hey, pesticides are a thing of the past. Don’t even think about it.
3.Fan of the honey?
Try to buy from local, ethical beekeepers.
4. Help them when they’re struggling.
Ever found a tired bee on the ground? Let your inner nurse take over, go find a spoon or small plate, add a small amount of water and some sugar (a couple of drops of honey works, too), mix it up and gently put the bee close to the sugar water. If there’s still hope, she will immediately stick out that curious tongue of hers, drink, fly away to get back to work, and congratulations! You just saved a life.
That’s about it when it comes to the easiest ways to live a bee-friendly life, so I would like to end this post by recommending the documentary series ‘Secrets of the Bees’ by National Geographic, available on Disney+, and then wishing you a happy World Bee Day!
Now, go spread the love. ;-)
xxx
