Where’s the best place to observe nature in your garden? Gunther Hauk, a beekeeper and biodynamic farmer who recently came to Austin to talk on the subject, knows from experience that the ideal view is from a hammock. He explains that from this reclining state of observation, one can develop a more spiritual reverence for nature’s dance, and if you watch very carefully you’ll see that the bee is clearly the hardest worker and most deserving of praise.

            Did you know that 80% of the world’s crops depend on bees for pollination? A 1999 Cornell University study found that the direct value of bee pollination each year to U.S. agriculture is $14.6 billion, including almost every kind of agri-business from pecans to blueberries. Without bees our gardens and a good part of our agricultural industry would collapse. In fact, it is the humble, diminutive bee that sustains plant life for the entire planet. And that’s good, as long as our bees keep buzzing.

            Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Today, bees are disappearing in record numbers. And without bees our gardens and fields will not proliferate, which also affects our livestock and many of our plant-based food sources. They call this crisis of nature colony collapse disorder, which has killed off billions of bees throughout the U.S. and has experts guessing as to its cause.

            Today, most large-crop farmers rent colonies of bees to pollinate their crops. Even though other insects can do the job, honey bees are the most efficient. Despite their starring role in a new animated film entitled Bee Movie, the life of the honey bee is not glamorous. Many beekeepers haul their hives across the U.S to pollinate crops. Bees travel packed in boxes and are pulled out to “do their work,” then packed up and sent on the road, continuously traveling from one location to another. During the process, many die off and entire colonies have vanished.

            For the last few years, scientists have seen a continuous and escalating drop in bee populations. The reason, however, remains elusive. No hive attacks have been sighted, no stockpiles of dead bees have been found and no clear culprit identified. Theories vary, from parasites to viruses, pesticides, cell phones, and the excessive stress caused by the way bees are raised. Yet despite such abuse from all directions, bees continue their work while also producing enough honey for themselves and us humans. It’s a sweet story with a sad prognosis.     

So what can a Texas gardener do to save our bees?

 

1) Show some respect. Bees are generally not aggressive unless provoked, so move slowly and give them time to fly away and do their work.

 

2) Don’t use pesticides or lawn fertilizers. Instead, let your bees thrive and use natural, organic fertilizers on you lawn.

 

3) Feed the bees a tasty medley of blue, purple and yellow flowers. Favorites include poppies, thistle, asters, Black-eyed Susans, purple cone flowers, sunflowers, lion’s tail, salvias, butterfly bush, coreopsis and lantana.

 

4) Let your dandelions and clover blossom, and sleep better knowing you’re feeding the bees with weeds.

 

5) Scatter wildflower seeds along roadways and meadows.

 

6)  Bring a little one to see Bee Movie. (It can’t hurt.)

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diana Hyland is a freelance writer, marketing professional and plant lover. She serves on the executive board of the Austin Herb Society and chairs the annual Herb Fest at the Sunset Valley Farmers Market. You can reach her at hylandink@austin.rr.com.