Why are bees so important? How can we protect them? In this issue, we will tell you the origin of World Honeybee Day and what each of us can do to protect bees in our daily lives.
Origin of World Honeybee Day
World Honeybee Day was established on May 20 and is a new addition to the United Nations calendar. It was found just a few years ago with the express purpose of raising public awareness about the importance of pollinators, their role in sustainable development, and the dangers they face daily that threaten their survival and ours.
Let’s take a few steps back: in October 2017, the United Nations General Assembly decided to designate May 20 as “Bee Day”. It is a symbolically important day for all beekeepers as it coincides with the birth date of Anton Jansa, a Slovenian beekeeper, and pioneer of modern beekeeping techniques.
It is no coincidence that Anton Jansa is Slovenian. In fact, Slovenia still plays a fundamental role in promoting not only this day, but beekeeping in general. Like many other things, the protection of bees and their role in the ecosystem is a cultural fact that each country has developed based on its history and traditions. Slovenia has always encouraged and protected bees because beekeeping is deeply rooted in the country, and the people are well aware of the importance of bees. This is confirmed by the fact that the Slovenian government itself has made conservation one of its objectives and that the government has banned the use of pesticides since 2011.
Why Are Bees Important?
Consider that thanks to these tiny creatures (and other pollinators), pollination by bees has allowed many plants to reproduce for more than 30 million years, keeping the ecosystem in balance and maintaining biodiversity. Therefore, bees are crucial not only for the survival of many plant species but also for us!
Several food crops have become edible thanks to pollination by honey bees. In other words, without bees, we would not be able to grow crops and might even have difficulty breathing, as they play an active role in the direct and indirect absorption of carbon dioxide.
Nevertheless, humans continue to endanger them through the use of pesticides and contribute to significant climate change through our daily misbehavior. As is often the case, everything seems so far away from us, but the problem is right under our noses and concerns us! In the last 10 years, 10 million hives have been lost, which means a 40% decline in the global bee and wasp population.
What Can We Do To Save the Bees?
We can always make a difference through our actions. We can engage in small actions in our daily lives to protect bees and, ultimately the ecosystem.
- Plant “bee-friendly” flowers on balconies, patios, and gardens.
- Buy honey and other bee products from organic or local beekeepers.
- Make children, youth, and adults aware of the importance of bees and beekeepers.
- Conserve and protect wildflowers and other wild plants and sow nectar plant seeds.
- Mow grasslands only after bees have collected valuable nectar from many wildflowers (e.g., dandelions), which are often mistaken for weeds that should be eliminated.
- Provide shelters for pollinators (the famous bee houses) on balconies and in gardens.
- Protect the bees’ homes.
- Shop responsibly and carefully, choosing products that take pollinating insects into consideration.
- Participate in campaigns against the use of pesticides.
Taking care of insects is their salvation as well as ours; this is why things should change.
Do you have any other tips to help save bees? Share it with us in the comments below!