The Bumbles Are Back!

Bumble on a Delphinium in the Moon Garden at The Hermitage

 The Bumble Bees are back! 

As some of you know (or will know if you follow and subscribe to this blog) that I love bees and am an active advocate for their survival. 

Some of you may or may not know that pesticides are a big problem in our bees disappearing. (More about that below.)

Brett and I organic garden, and we plant many variates of plants and flowers that the honeybees,Mason bees and the bumble bees love. So, it was a bit of a shock and alarming really, to not see any bees on the flowers. I saw maybe one bumble in a month's time. That has never happened before. So this issue really is on our doorsteps and not something "out there" that scientists and environmentalists are talking about over coffee.

Because this is a catastrophic event concurring that so many don't know about, I try to educate people about it. Needless to say, I cringe as my neighbors spray, spray, spray the pesticides and chemical fertilizers. This is really hurting the bees, but the biggest user of harmful pesticides are the agrifarms, the factory farmers of crops.

I was speaking to my good friend Valerie Camozzi about my concern and she said "call to them, tell them to come to your yard, it's safe." So I did . And the next day...5 bumbles. I saw them and told them my flowers have nothing that will harm them and everything to make their colony stronger. Then took the pictures you see here. The next day, we had 10 and now many.

Sadly, we have not seen a honeybee yet.

In the comment section you can leave suggestions on organic gardening for my readers and what you have found helpful in your organic garden.

Bumble on Bee Balm in the Sun Garden at The Hermitage

Save our Bees

Did you know that our honeybees are in trouble? Honeybees are different than wasps, bumbles or yellow jackets and are vital to the pollination of crops. Without them all life on the planet would suffer. 

Mass honeybee deaths now occurring worldwide, says UN

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031694_honeybees_decline.html#ixzz1QUxzZYYy

 

Click here to learn how Bees are in serious trouble and what that means to your  and your family’s survival

But there is so much you can do to help from Xerces.org!  

And here are some more ideas.

When each of us helps, even in a small way, it creates change. Your voice, joined with many is very powerful. To do good sometimes we have to “do.”

This is a link to NJ project to increase the honeybee population. Please see about one in your state.
http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/news/press/2008/approved/press080305.html