Did you know honeybees are disappearing from planet earth ? They actually are close to belong to the « endangered species » category. They might not be as cute as the WWF panda, but what some of you probably consider as a vulgar insect is actually more useful than you can imagine. Agriculture absolutely needs bees great job of pollination. In the US, beekeeping is a big business. Fruit and vegetable farms rent beehives at very high prices during pollination season. Without bees, an estimated 80% of the flora could desappear from the earth. Freaking out ?
Here’s the thing : in 2006 appeared a strange phenomena called CCD for « colony collapse disorder ». The bees started to loose their minds. Instead of their regular dance -which is a language, yes bees CAN communicate- they started acting strange, could no longer fly and orientate, and never be back to the beehive. Billions of bees never went home and died in the fields, all across the US, Europe and many countries around the World. There was also a sublethal effect : contaminated adults brought the poison to the beehive and killed the babies.
Climate change, electro magnetic fields, viruses, GMO, fertilizers, parasites, have been suspected, but it appears not a single factor is the cause. Most likely, pesticides and fongicides are to be blamed, but we don’t know exactly how. It seems that a combination of several chemicals is in cause. All the chemicals used in agriculture are (officially) certified harmless to bees, but the phenomena might occur when 2 different products are mixed together.
What is unmistakable is the fact that bees are very sensitive to pollution. Then where are these little insects most likely to find a shelter ? In the city !
New York City administration, which had banned bees – along with crocodiles, lions, and pit vipers- are actually changing their mind.
This makes me remember of my own experience in my former NYC home in east village. Bob, the superintendant, was taking care of the garden in the back courtyard, growing flowers and apples. One day he told me his secret : his unofficial job was to take care of Bees. He was a good beekeeper, considering the honey he used to give us in a little box. Very yummy new york city honney !
New York Beekeepers will no longer have to hide, and finally, the city might be the ultimate shelter for these tiny animals…
Here’s an interesting experience by two artists Franz HÖFNER & Harry SACHS who installed a one million honeybees colony in an empty lot in Berlin. « Honey Neustadt », as they entitled it, produced a lot of local honey. The beehives looked like the buildings around. Don’t they perfectly match ?
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I’m afraid there’s not much to do, except, again, buy organic the more your budget agrees with. Especially organic and local honey, and fruits.
Of course, if you have a garden, or a terrace, or even a tiny window box, please forget the chemicals you might want to use as fertilizers or insecticides, just try to grow your plants in a more natural way.
Plus, if you see, by chance, a little bee lost the city, don’t be afraid, it’s just a friend.
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