5 things you can do to save the honeybees

If you've read "Why 40% of our food supply is disappearing," then you know how important honeybees are to our very survival, and you want to know what you can do to help. Here are 5 simple things you can do to help stem the loss of our most vital farmers, the honeybee.1. Grow bee-friendly plans or create a bee sanctuary. Bee sanctuaries are becoming more popular as individuals do what they can to stem the tide of bee and insect loss around the world. Section off a bit of your yard and let the dandlions and clover take over. Bees thrive on what we would call weeds. If the spread of dandilions (excellent for human immune systems and dental health, too) is not your dream, simply plant herbs and flowering plants that bees love to eat. A few options are marigolds, sunflowers, zinnias, cocuses, berries, lavender, sage, butterfly bush, and trees like redbuds, and poplar. For a complete list of bee-friendly plants click here

If you live in colder climates, like Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Department of Natural Resources recommends the following plants for bees:
Spring Blooming Plants:
Pussy willow (Salix discolor)
Juneberry (Amelanchier spp.)
Spiderwort (Tradescantia spp.)
Plums and cherries (Prunus spp.)
Wild roses (Rosa spp.)
Summer Blooming Plants:
Prairie clover (Dalea spp.)
Bee balm (Monarda spp.)
Lavender hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.)
Blazing star (Liatris spp.)
Autumn Blooming Plants:
Aster (Symphyotrichum spp.)
Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
Sunflower (Helianthus spp.).

"Even the narrowest strip of wildflowers will help bees, especially if you have native wildflowers blooming throughout the growing season," says Carmelita Nelson, Minnesota DNR's "Roadsides for Wildlife" coordinator.

"Botanists and entomologists say even a few square yards of native flowering plants in a yard, garden, or vacant lot can make a difference. This kind of ecological restoration can truly be a win-win, says Spivak of the University of Minnesota. "It would give the wild pollinators nesting and feeding sites. It would help the domestic bees. It would help everything," Spivak says, hesitating for a moment before adding one more benefit: "Isn't there a theory that when you plant flowers, there's less crime?"