Spubi's 5 - 5 simple tips to be more bee friendly
Bees are sensitive creatures. We often read what can harm bees. In our opinion, awareness of harmful factors is elementary in order to take responsibility for one's own actions. However, at least as interesting is the answer to the question: "how can I support bees as a friend of bees?"
So today we would like to show 5 simple and quickly implementable ways to support, protect and help bees through your own behaviors.
We have chosen the format to briefly explain and describe the tip. We will provide more information through external links. (German only) Function and content of the linked pages are the responsibility of their operators. As always, if you notice something here, feel free to contact us!
Enough of the introductions, let's get started with the tips and tricks:
1) Bee drinker
Bees need water for honey production and honeycomb building, and especially in the current severe and prolonged dry periods with temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius, access to water is irreplaceable for bees. Helpful here are "bee drinkers" which you can quickly build yourself and which are extremely valuable for bees, insects and also birds.
The main feature of a bee trough is that the bee can use a shallow access to the water. Since bees like to take in water indirectly, mosses and lava rocks are particularly suitable for taking in water, in addition to climbing aids such as tree branches, shells and empty snail shells.
The Bee Journal has published detailed instructions on how to do this. (German only)
2) Washing glasses
Admittedly, the second tip is not immediately obvious from the title. However, most of us love honey as a morning spread or sugar alternative in tea. It is bought, served and ultimately consumed mainly from jars. Once the jar is empty, it is disposed of in the glass container for recycling. Here is a teaser for tip 5: Many local beekeepers use a reusable system. Nevertheless, it is helpful for bees if you rinse the jars thoroughly with water and washing-up liquid before disposing of them. With little effort, a major risk to bees can be avoided.
You can find more background information and explanations in this report by Stern magazine. (German only)
3) Flowering meadows
We are very pleased that the third tip is becoming increasingly popular again. A flowering meadow is basically low-maintenance, colourful and provides a habitat for bees and many other animals. It does not have to be the whole garden, even a small strip can provide food and habitat for a variety of native insects. There are a few things to consider when planting a flowering meadow for the first time. It is recommended to pay special attention to the selection of flowers and to use regionally native and nectar-rich seeds.
Here you can find tips from NABU on how to create a flower meadow. (German only)
4) Natural plant protection
Weeds in pavement joints? Plant pests in the garden? Fungal infestation on fruit trees? Nobody wants this in their garden. Common "chemical pesticides" promise a quick remedy. Fortunately, there is increasing awareness of the devastating consequences for bees and nature. Therefore, we would like to plead for natural plant protection at this point. For example, a light soapy water with a little (!) biodegradable soft soap can help against aphid infestation. Important note: Aphids have a biological function and are important for both ladybirds and ants. Therefore, please always use with caution. Homemade sprays are also very effective, although they require a little more work to prepare.
You can find great tips on bee-friendly plant protection here. (German only)
5) Purchasing behaviour
Valuable support for bees that can be directly integrated into everyday life can also be achieved through our consumer behaviour. Imported honey is available for very little money. This is often due to two main factors. One is the widely varying wage structure of the beekeepers, and the other is the wide variety of requirements and guidelines for beekeeping. Take a look at your honey jar, do you find an indication of origin there? Does it say something like "mixed product from EU and non-EU countries"? Beware! There are already different standards within the EU. However, the EU itself has set minimum standards for quality and production. Non-EU countries sometimes have no standards or only low standards and it is not known under which conditions the bees were kept and the honey harvested. Honey is a regional product and can be produced in your own country. Please look carefully at where a product comes from and whether it can meet your quality standards. If you are demanding in terms of the origin of your consumer products, the producers willing to sell will make an additional effort to meet your demands. You can take a critical look at the local beekeeper at your leisure and get a picture of the production conditions for yourself.
You can find more information here. (German only)
We hope you enjoyed these 5 easy-to-implement tips for bee protection. We are sure that there are many other good ideas, so we are especially interested in how you help the bees? We look forward to sharing your personal tips and experiences with you. Feel free to write to us on Facebook or Instagram, or directly.
Let's do something good together!
Your Spubis