"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Saturday, 16 December 2017

Disturbing

They were found in on our windowsills, and on our floor, in just one day.
14 dead bees - what caused this to happen in only ONE day?
What is the cause?

 It could be the drought.

 It could be the chemicals sprayed by the farmers on the surrounding fields.

 It could be the loss of habitat or the lack of crop diversity ( http://sos-bees.org/causes/ and http://sos-bees.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/BeesInDecline.pdf)

It could be the increasing levels of CO2 (https://e360.yale.edu/features/bee_collapse_co2_climate_change_agriculture) 

 Whatever the cause, life without bees will be very, very different.  There will be no pollinating of crops.  No crops, no food.  No food...

 And no honey.  Imagine life without honey - whether you spread it on freshly baked bread, stir it in your coffee, or apply it to a cut.

 I, personally, do not want to even think, never mind live, on a planet without the bees.
A simple source of water for the bees on a hot summers day
And they need our help.  Do you use chemicals to control pests in your garden, or do you employ eco-friendlier options?  Do you do something as simple as putting out a bowl of water for these important insects to help them cope with the summer heat?

 I believe that is the least we can do for these busy, busy bees...
Posted by Dani at 15:42:00
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10 comments:

  1. Simple Living16 December 2017 at 17:45

    All wildlife certainly do need our help.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dani17 December 2017 at 14:29

    Simple Living - They do. We ignore their requirments to our peril

    ReplyDelete
  3. Marlin Andrus17 December 2017 at 23:24

    Population of bees go up and down from one season to the next, although there has been a gradual decrease through the years. We have bird baths and nectar feeders for the birds and wildlife in general. There used to be so many bees that they were a problem on the nectar feeders to the point that the hummingbirds had a hard time feeding. That's not a problem anymore!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Marlin Andrus19 December 2017 at 16:23

    I should have ended by saying that it's frightening to see the bee population decline like it has. We're all going to be in trouble if they aren't helped.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dani19 December 2017 at 16:43

    Maflin - We re indeed. Unless we are prepared to hand pollinate every single bud / flower. Although that is already happening in China, I cannot see that happening worldwide.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dani19 December 2017 at 16:45

    Marlin - The bird feeders I purchased recently has a piece of net - to purposefuly prevent bees from accessing, and drowning inside the bottle. (http://ecofootprintsa.blogspot.co.za/2017/09/not-just-honey.html) I tend to put out a small bowl of sugar water for the bees in winter - although they're not as active then as they are in summer. Just feel for them... :(

    ReplyDelete
  7. Harry Flashman21 December 2017 at 23:03

    The bees have been dying off here for a long time. There were two bee keepers in the county but now there are none. Periodically the paper publishes a new piece on what is killing the bees. The latest one said it was probably some kind of mite.

    I don't use pesticides here, and I have water tanks for my animals the bees can drink out of.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dani23 December 2017 at 10:44

    Harry - It is very worrying that there is no massive alarm from the authorities regarding the bees dying off. It is not only illness that is decimating them - allowing the use of a specific pesticide is contributing enormously too...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Leigh25 December 2017 at 18:18

    I lost all of my bees last year. It was quite devastating, but in our case I believe the heat and drought were one factor, but skunks were what drove them out. :(

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dani27 December 2017 at 15:45

    Oh, Leigh - That's terrible.

    Skunks?? They eat bees / beehives??

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.

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