honeybees and pesticide uses

Spring is here, and the honeybees have begun their noble work! Each spring these incredible little buzzers leave the safety of their hives to pollinate all the amazing fruits and vegetables we love so much!

So, what can we do locally, here in the Philly metro area to help our local population of honeybees?
It's no secret honeybees have been in decline for years now. Recent findings by researchers have narrowed the source of CCD, or colony collapse disorder, to neonics - which are very toxic pesticides found on many farms, golf courses, and even in plants we buy at large box stores like Home Depot and Lowes!!!

Now this is how you can help the honeybees!

1) Please do not use herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers on your lawns. Our area ( philly metro) currently has many beehives! When bees are exposed to these chemicals, they can't find their way home! If they do manage to get home, they unknowingly store these pesticides in their hive- killing all future generations yet to be born!

2) leave your dandelions and clover alone! They are not weeds! They are medicine, and very important food sources for the bees. Please don't fall for the marketing ploy that these wonders are weeds...in fact, go into a natural food store, and you'll see them selling dandelion greens! If they bother you so much, go out and harvest them for a salad, but please please don't spray them away!

3) petition you local government to ban pesticides in public spaces, including parks and schools! Heck, ban them from your townships! There is always an alternative to these chemicals, it may take some research, but you can do it without toxic chemicals that put your health at risk!

4) plant bee friendly flowers and trees, from organic seed! It's so important to plant from organic seed because plants from the "box" stores already have these toxic substances in them! People think they are helping by purchasing bee friendly plants, but those plants are actually killing the bees because of the chemicals in the plant!...again, don't fall for these marketing ploys! I have even seen seeds sold with herbicides that say save the bees!!! What a load of dung!!! Don't bee fooled!!!!

5) spread the word, and educate. Share what you know about bees, and the harmful substances threatening them. Tell your friends and neighbors to get on board, help make our environment healthy and vibrant!

I am a local beekeeper working so hard to keep the honeybee population healthy in our area. We absolutely need the bees, and they need us right now!  The partnership we have formed with the bees in this area is for your benefit, our local neighbors and friends.  the bees will benefit you, your kids and their kids. We can not do it alone, in fact we are struggling!!  Every year we lose more bee colonies in this area to pesticides, 8 colonies alone this year...that's 400,000 bees gone from our area this year alone....please help us! Do your part, so that we may continue to do ours!

Ryan Williamson, Beaupre Apiary Bryn Mawr Pa