Spring seems to finally be back, and we’re not the only ones who are ready to take advantage of the warmer weather. Back in March, Honey Nut Cheerios pulled their famous bee mascot from their cereal boxes to create a buzz about the dramatically declining bee populations as a part of their second annual #BringBackTheBees campaign. They also partnered up with Vesey’s Seeds to give away over 100 million wildflower seeds to Canadians.
Since the 1990s, beekeepers around the world have observed the sudden and mysterious disappearance of bees. It’s not just the disappearance of honey from our kitchen cupboards that we’re concerned about, though. Bees play an integral part in our ecosystems as pollinators. A third of all the food we eat is dependent on pollination activities by bees and other pollinating insects. The causes for their disappearance are complex and not wholly understood, but it is thought that it is mainly caused by agricultural practices such as monocultures which lead to “food deserts” for bees, pesticides, diseases and parasites, and lastly, climate change.
However, there are ways for people to help restore the bee populations. The #BringBackTheBees campaign points people towards one such way: planting bee-friendly wildflowers. These wildflowers will provide bees with the nutrition they need to be healthy and to continue their pollinating activities. You can request a free packet of wildflower seeds from Vesey’s Seeds by going to the official campaign website. You can also read up more on the issue there, as well as learn about other ways that Honey Nut Cheerios is raising awareness for the bees.
There have been some concerns over whether the seeds provided by Vesey’s were native species, genetically-modified, or whether there is any potential for them to be invasive. John Barrett, director of sales for Vesey’s, has affirmed that although most of the seeds from the packets are non-native, they are not considered invasive. He also asserted that Vesey’s does not provide any genetically-modified seeds either.
Our final say? #BringBackTheBees has certainly succeeded in creating a buzz about the importance of bees and the need to help our pollinating friends make a comeback. So regardless of whether you get your seeds from your Honey Nut Cheerios box, or you hit up your local seed retailer for native wildflower species, do consider planting wildflowers this Spring either on your balcony or just outside of your window to help #BringBackTheBees.
Sources:
Images obtained from:
http://blog.generalmills.com/2017/03/1-week-1-5-billion-seeds/
https://pixabay.com/en/rape-bee-spring-2102241/
Cover Photo by Viktor Hanacek