Busy bees

BY BRUCE BRANUM

The Greenville Standard

 

These small bees, pictured above, were quite busy this past Sunday morning collecting pollen from a sunflower to return to their hive.

According to www.pollinator.org, “Without the actions of pollinators, agricultural economies, our food supply, and surrounding landscapes would collapse. Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food.

“They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce.

“Pollinating animals travel from plant to plant carrying pollen on their bodies in a vital interaction that allows the transfer of genetic material critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants – the very plants that bring us countless fruits, vegetables, and nuts, half of the world’s oils, and fibers and raw materials.”

Pollinators are important because between 75-95 percent of all flowering plants on earth need help with pollination.

There are over 180,000 different plant species and over 1,200 crop plants which need help to pollinate efficiently.

Those plants help clean the air, stabilize soil, aid in carbon sequestration, and support wildlife.

How can you help?

Familiarize yourself with plant species that support local pollinators.

Add natural habitat areas with plants that pollinators will use.

Avoid using weed killers and pesticides in your outdoor areas. If you must use either, spot spray, don’t apply broadly. It will save you money and keep our ecosystems working to your benefit.

Support your local farmers and beekeepers that practice organic methods of production.

And especially, spread the word about the importance of pollinators.