Dunedin Celebrates World Bee Day

DUNEDIN, FL — Bees are making a big buzz in Dunedin as the city celebrates World Bee Day.

Despite their small size, bees and other pollinators have a huge role to play in keeping humans healthy and the planet healthy!

Bees for Food & Agriculture

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, "More than 75 percent of the world's food crops rely on pollination. Without bees, we wouldn't have these nutritious foods. Bees play an essential role in keeping us and the planet healthy." -Source

Why Bees Matter - The Importance of bees and other pollinators for food and agriculture

Without bees and other pollinators, we wouldn't have these wonderful foods:

• Almonds
  Apples
  Avocados
  Blackberries

  Blueberries
  Broccoli
  Cantalope
  Cucumbers

Celery
Coconut
Coffee
Grapes

Kiwifruit
Lemons & Limes
Mangos
Onions

Potatoes
Raspberries
Squash: zucchini, pumpkin
Strawberries

Sweet Cherries
Tangerines
Tomatoes
Watermelon

More foods...

Bees & World Hunger

"What do bees have to do with world hunger? Quite a lot, actually! Close to three-quarters of the world's crop species depend, at least in part, on bees and other pollinators. Pollinators play an essential role in helping to feed a rising world population in a sustainable way and help maintain biodiversity and a vibrant ecosystem." -United Nations

Bee Aware & Bee Engaged!

What you can do:

• Plant a diverse set of native plants, which flower at different times of the year
• Buy raw honey from local farmers
• Buy products from sustainable agriculture practices
• Avoid pesticides, fungicides or herbicides in our gardens
• Protect wild bee colonies when possible
• Sponsor a hive
• Make a bee water fountain by leaving a water bowl outside
• Help to sustain forest ecosystems
• Raise awareness around us by sharing this information!

Make a Bee Bath

Bee "baths" are not really places for bees to bathe, but places for them to drink water. By providing water around your garden you help bees to flourish.
These are very easy to make!

Materials needed:

• shallow dish
• stones
• water

Place stones in a shallow dish and cover the stones halfway with water. Make sure to leave parts of the stones out of the water so bees can land on the stones and drink the water without drowning. Refresh the water every few days.

Plant Native Flowers

Plant these for bees

• Black-Eyed Susan
• Coral Honeysuckle
• Bur-Marigolds
• Sea Lavender
• Purple Coneflower

Learn more: Landscaping for Wildlife presentation slides

Bidens alba - leave these native plants in your yard, they are not weeds, but food for bees!

Florida Bees:

Did you know that Florida is home to about 315 species of native bees? From that list, 29 are endemic, meaning they are only found in Florida!
Meet a few of these furry friends:

Photo credit: UF/IFAS Extension agent, Michelle Peterson - Bee Presentation

Where do bees live?

Not all bees make a hive, many live alone in cavities of dead trees or in small holes in the ground.
Watch your step in the garden and do not disturb bee homes when you find them.

How to Encourage Native Bees

• Leave bare soil in undisturbed areas so bees can dig their nests and tunnels
• Leave some stumps and logs so the wood borers have a place to nest
• Make an insect hotel

This press release was produced by the City of Dunedin. The views expressed here are the author’s own.