As soon as I set foot in the garden, I already hear the familiar humming of insects. Bees, bumblebees, wasps, hornets and many other creatures roam everywhere, transforming this quiet place into a living one - like kissed by nature. What used to seem completely natural to me is now a privilege, which I learned to appreciate more and more. It's so easy to close your eyes to something, but once they're open, it's hard to take your eyes off again. The bee mortality should be a topic for everyone and taken seriously - Why?
In Germany, about 550-560 wild bee species (including the bumblebees) are native of which 31 species are threatened with extinction according to the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation. 197 species are considered highly endangered and another 42 species are on the risk list. Although the number of honey bees has increased over the last 10 years due to increased beekeeping, more and more wild bees are the victims of insect killing. Since 1989, the number of insects has declined by as much as 76%, with 80% of all plant species pollinated by insects so they can exist. Imagine what happens when insect killing takes on even greater proportions. What happens to the 60% of all bird species that rely on food through insects? What happens to nature and our food?
We all depend on the survival of these beneficial creatures - and at the same time we are the reason why the cycle of life will eventually not close, but disappear.
The honey bee is a highly bred bee species and does not have much in common with wild bees. While it can be protected from the most external influences by the protection of the beekeeper, the wild bee in their quality of life is much more limited. Their lifespan is only 4-6 weeks, because unlike the honeybee, it has a smaller range of action and thus fewer feeding options.
There are also other natural regulatory mechanisms, such as parasites, diseases and weather conditions, which prevent rapid spread and limit the population density of wild bees. Nevertheless, the honeybee must not be uncared for.
So what can we do to protect the insects?
You do not need much to make your garden a sanctuary and habitat for all bee species. First, make sure you have bee-friendly plants in your garden. If not please plant as much as you can at the next gardening session. There are numerous flower mixtures for bees. They prefer wildflowers. Just take a look at the nearest hardware store - bee-friendly plants are often even signposted there. If this is not the case, contact an employee. Neither the price nor the beauty of the beefriendly plants are different from the plants which are not attractive for bees. In my experience, they are even more productive, since they are mostly perennial and have a long flowering period. I've put together a list of the flowers that I have in my garden and which are really liked and often visited by bees right here. Even bees are thirsty, especially after they have traveled long distances. If you do not have a natural source of water in your garden, you can easily set up a bee watering station. How to make it and where to place it best is what you'll learn here. Why not build a shelter right away? Wild bees are very open-minded about the choice of their nesting place, but not all insect hotels, which you can buy in hardware stores etc., are always suitable. What you have to pay attention to and how you can build a wild bee hotel itself, you will also be informed of here on my blog.
I hope I could encourage you to do something for these loving creatures.
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