The Science of Saving Bees
Bees need us!
The removal of trees and wildflowers has meant a loss of habitat for bees all around the world.
Because of this, the population of bees is in decline. BUT, we can be the change makers for the fate of the un-BEE-lievably cool, humble bumblebee!
BEE INFORMED FACT...
We need bees…
Bees not only produce honey, but they also pollinate a third of what we eat like; fruit, vegetables and grains.
In New Zealand, the native plants also rely on bees to pollinate them which many of our native birds and insects use for shelter and/or food.
The buzz on bumblebees
In New Zealand, we have four species of bumblebee.
A single bumblebee can do about 50 times the work of a honeybee.
Bumblebees use ‘buzz pollination’… they buzz in such a way that even the most firmly held pollen is released from the flower.
Bumblebees have fuzzy bodies which allow pollen to cling to them, increasing the amount of pollen they can carry to the next flower.
Because bumblebees can only store two days’ worth of food and use up lots of energy flying, they are often only 40 minutes away from starvation!
How to help a bumblebee that has run out of energy…
When bumblebees run out of energy, they can get sleepy. Giving them a wee energy boost can get them up and flying again in no time.
We chatted with Dr Barry Donavon (The Bee King), for his thoughts on what we can do when we find a sleepy bumblebee…
MAKE YOUR OWN BUMBLEBEE FOOD...
The sugar/water should be mixed at a rate of between 30/70 and 50/50, but the proportions aren’t too important because a bumblebee will drink even thick honey.”
– Dr Barry Donovan
One day, one of the Upstart team (Ruth) found a sleepy bumblebee walking slowly across the path. She let it crawl onto a leaf and then moved it away from the footpath to where it wouldn’t get stepped on.
She then prepared sugar water on a teaspoon and put it in front of the bumblebee, just close enough for its proboscis (its very long straw like tongue) to reach it.
She let it drink what it wanted either from the teaspoon or from little droplets on the concrete. After it had drunk enough it flew off with a happy buzz.
Pro Tip: Don’t fill the spoon right up. The bee may flounder into the mixture and become wet, sticky and be unable to fly. Remember, bees sting so be careful not to get your fingers too close!
Build a bee-friendly garden…
Garden centres are cool places to hang out! Ask a staff member to show you where the best bee-friendly plants for pots or gardens are. When we did this, we were told that one specific Lavender, Bee Brilliant, is an especially great plant to plant in a pot plant or garden.
Other Bee-Friendly Flowers
Bees LOVE flowers with lots of nectar and pollen, like lavender, cornflower, daisies, cat mint, geraniums, herbs and wildflowers are. In our garden, the bees are attracted to Borage, flowering carrot shoots and the hardy Spirea!
Here are some other bee-friendly flower ideas…