Bees are so important to the health of our planet that they have their own special day. World Bee Day takes place on 20th May each year, and its aim is to spread awareness of the significance of bees.
Bee campaigners also ask people everywhere to do more to help and protect the special insects.
This year’s world bee day theme is ‘Bee engaged – Build Back Better for Bees’, and it’ll focus on finding ways to help restore, support and enhance the role of the popular pollinators during a time when lots of countries continue to deal with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) is urging everyone including governments, private companies, researchers and consumers, to take action to help protect the tiny creatures.
A third of the world’s food production depends on bees. Bees pollinate (a process vital to crops growing) three quarters (75%) of leading global crops, including oilseed rape, apples, soft fruits, beans and courgettes, as well as things like tomatoes and strawberries.
Bees are vital for maintaining the balance between living organisms such as human beings, plants, and animals as well as their environment. They also help reduce pollution. Scientific studies have proven that bees have become increasingly endangered. The UN says one million species face extinction.
So, on this world bee day, what can you do to help?
- Planting bee-friendly plants like heather and daisies and red clover on balconies, terraces, and in gardens can help
- Leaving sections of the garden wild and letting the grass grow long gives the bees a place to shelter
- Create a bee hotel for your garden’s bee population
- Leaving a small dish with a few pebbles and shallow water in can help if a bee is thirsty
- There are also special bricks which bees can live in
- Don’t use pesticides as they are really harmful to bees
- Buy honey and other hive products from your nearest local beekeeper
Source: BBC
Published: 20th May 2021