Bees in need

For a long time, we have been haunted by reports of doom about the decline of bees and its consequences for humanity. Our survival would actually depend on it, because: without bees, there is no fertilization of fruit and vegetables, no fertilization of crops that serve as animal feed, so human animal food is also at risk...

Why are bees so important to our world?

When you ask that question specifically about honeybees, people actually only focus on the honey they produce. But if you look at it purely socially AND economically, the main answer is pollination; not only by the honeybees, but also by the solitary bees, bumblebees and other flying insects.

‍Is there a difference between honeybees and wild bees?

Within the insect world, we can limit ourselves to pollination to the flying insects, and the most famous of them are bees, bumblebees and wasps. Strictly speaking, bees and bumblebees belong to the same genus and wasps belong to a different genus. Within that group of bees and bumblebees, we make another 'artificial' division between solitary and group-dwelling insects. Because the honeybees can work very well together, they are of course of the utmost importance for pollination, when it comes to results, i.e. for the fertilization of utility crops.

On a large rapeseed field or in a large orchard, the honeybees will first send out their explorers, after which the entire population will be perfectly organized within the hour to optimally pollinate the rapeseed blossoms (and collect honey, of course). Solitary bees will also visit that field and orchard, without having contact with a neighbor or neighbor, and will therefore not be there in their thousands. But solitary bees are invaluable for native plants, because some are even very “species-specific”, i.e. one bee species will pollinate that particular plant and no other. Solitary bees have long been happy when their supply of honey is sufficient for their reproduction, and honey bees are not interested in that, they are only looking for the “big gain” of the “mass production” that we offer them. Solitary bees are of the utmost importance for ecology in general, for the survival of nature all the time. Bumblebees are active on wild plants, such as balsams, comfrey, but also on tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkins. In general, they are of less economic importance, not least because they are so heavy and do not always have nectar.

Wasps tell a different story: at the beginning of the season, the larvae are raised with animal proteins, caterpillars, bee larvae, etc., and the sweet secretions of those wasp larvae serve as food for the older wasps; they will therefore not extract nectar from flowers. At the end of the season, there are no more wasp larvae and they look for their 'sweetness' in alternative sources, including some nectar from flowers, and especially in obvious sweets, left by humans... It is therefore only during that period (August/September) that wasps can be hungry and sometimes aggressive. Bees, honeybees and solitary bees are NOT aggressive, so they will never sting unless you step on them or otherwise clamp them down. Solitary wasps (sawflies, digger wasps, etc...) are also ecologically very important, because they are species-specific and often rely on a specific plant species.

‍

What do bees look for in flowers?

Pollen, also called pollen, contains a lot of protein and is the source of essential nutrients for bees and many other insects. A sufficiently varied range ensures that bees stay healthy.

Nectar is an energy source for many insects to fly. Bees collect flower nectar and process it into honey: they enrich the nectar with enzymes, etc., extract the excess water from it, and store the resulting honey in the combs, after which it serves as food for the larvae and also for the bees.

What are the biggest threats to bees?

The biggest problem for bees and other insects is the total degeneration of the breed, both honeybees and wild bees. What are the causes of this?

- the extensive cultivation/inbreeding of the bee breeds by humans, paying more attention to productivity (producing as much honey as possible), at the expense of the breed's health,

- the decline in the supply of food; for example, maize does have a lot of pollen, but questions remain about the manipulation and selection of maize seeds... and mono-cultures are not good for bees anyway;

- valuable plant communities are disappearing due to urbanization, the construction of roads,...

- the rise of pests and diseases, which may have always been latent in populations, but are now breaking out due to the slow degeneration and weakening of the breed, with very serious consequences; the best known is the Varroa mite, which has weakened and even killed entire bee colonies;

- exotic plants are gaining popularity, and these are not always extracted from seeds, original plants from exotic places, but mostly hybrids and cultivated cultivars, where insects can't do anything at all. On the other hand, some imported exotics that are now seen everywhere in nature and are often considered “invasive” are not always the culprits they are portrayed as: e.g., giant balsam is not native, but has proven to be very valuable for bees, as well as for bumblebees; the Acacia is also not native but still a great source of nectar, and there are many others...

- perhaps the most important cause is: the excessive use of pesticides, in agriculture, but also in gardens; we apparently cannot bring ourselves to ban the use of these neonicotinoids (Roundup & C°), although the harmful effects have been sufficiently proven. And what's more, there is another severely underestimated consequence of excessive pesticide use: the bird population is also declining! Just think of all insectivores that are poisoned by the caterpillars of the Boxwood moth, when they are killed by the 'classic' pesticides.

What can we do in our own garden to help the bees, to ensure their survival?

- don't be too tidy: a clover lawn offers an incredible amount of nectar to bees; so there is no need to control those clovers, and other flowers in the lawn, with chemicals;

- weeds can be a great resource for bees and bumblebees: in addition to nesting opportunities for some, they get lots of pollen and nectar from flowering grasses and weeds. Apart from the difficult bindweed, horsetail and cultivated grass, you should let the 'weeds' run their course here and there;

- all kinds of trees, shrubs and perennials (including bulbous plants!) can provide a food source for all bees and bumblebees;

‍

TREES:

There are more trees than expected that are fantastic pregnant plants, for example Acer campestre, the Field Maple, which not only provides very good honey, but also appears to be a very beautiful hedge plant; the well-known Linden, Tilia, and Gleditsia triacanthos, The false Christ thorns are visited by crowds of bees in the spring; the latter also attracts entire groups of tail tits in late summer, who love the seeds. And so there are still many trees, whether native or not, that are valuable in every garden;

BUSHES:

Buddleia, the butterfly bush, Corylus avellana,de Hazel, Clematis, Hydrangea paniculata, Rosa rugosa, and many others are traditionally planted shrubs, attractive because of the pollen and nectar they offer over a long season.

PERENNIALS:

The list of perennials that attract bees and bumblebees is endless: Aster, Astrantia, Bergenia, Campanula, Cirsium (thistle), Leucanthemum (Marguerite),Echinacea, Salvia, Nepeta, Sedum, and many others attract very many pollinating insects during flowering. Native and local plant material is most suitable for insects and birds. But cultivars or selections of perennials or annuals, for example, can also be valuable, provided that you allow as few hybrid species or plants grown in vitro as possible. Even plants with very double and double flowers are actually useless: it is difficult for bees and bumblebees to get nectar and pollen in the heart of the flower;

- in addition to wild plants to give pollinators an ideal living environment, you can also, and not least for your own pleasure, choose to sow or plant ANNUALS. After all, these are all plants that belong to the native flora in their country of origin. By annuals, we therefore do not mean the brightly colored, mostly hybrid species of Vlijtige Liesjes, Marigolds, Begonias, etc. that are found en masse in garden centers in the spring, but the annuals that you can extract from seeds yourself. An additional advantage of flowering annuals: they provide much-needed nectar/energy during some times of the year when there are fewer nutrients available (August, September,...).

‍

Almost all annuals belong in the list, but if it's hard to choose, just sow a flower meadow! In addition to flower meadows with native plants, adapted to the soil, and the situation in your garden, which are of course ideal for natural living, you can also opt for flower meadows with exotic plants. They are usually very floriferous and spread well, but never too much. The buzzing of thousands of bees at such a big banquet is the best reward for your efforts...

‍

‍