How you can help bees during covid-19

2020 has been a rollercoaster year, with much of our time and attention being taken up by the pandemic currently sweeping the globe. Our lives have been completely disrupted, so it is understandable if we haven’t given much thought on how to help bees during covid-19, but they are still dying.

Pollinators like bees, butterflies, and even lesser known ones such as beetles provide an important service to plants. They move from flower to flower collecting nectar, and in doing so help plants propagate. Without them, many of our favorite foods would be gone forever, including foods such as apples and blueberries.

Yet as much as we’d love to gather together to create a community bee garden, or join a town hall to talk about pesticide use, covid-19 has kept us at home. What can we do if we can’t go anywhere? Quite a lot.

Plant your own bee garden

You can create a way station for hungry bees by planting native flowers and bee friendly options in your landscaping. By avoiding using pesticides yourself, you can create an oasis for hungry pollinators.

Rethink your lawn

Instead of a traditional lawn, consider turning your lawn into a natural meadow. Even if you simply replace your grass with clover and mow it with your highest setting, clover grows low enough that it can still offer pollinators plenty to eat while still looking presentable for the neighborhood. Some states will even pay you to offer this service to the bees, a win-win for everyone.

If you have a large property, you can also help by hosting a bee hive. Although wild bees need help more than domesticated bees, a hive will certainly help support the health of your local ecosystem while also giving you delicious honey.

Speak up

You never know who listens to you. Write an email to your governor, write a blog post about pollinators, or take action in some other way to lend your voice to pollinators. Coronavirus can’t spread through the internet, so speaking for the bees in this way is perfectly safe.

Pollinators need our help, so let’s work together to give them the flowers and space they need to survive. It’s possible to stay safe, and still help bees during covid-19.