A World Without Honey Bees Would Not Be So Sweet

As many of you know, beeswax is a one of the many organic ingredients in Edye’s Naturals products. In fact, we source some of ours from local beekeepers. However most people purchase honey from a supermarket where it seems to be in abundance with sometimes 10 or more varieties to choose from. That unfortunately is merely an illusion. Our honey supply is diminishing because honey bees are dying. Here is the not so sweet story of why honey bees are in danger and how you can help.
 
Bees are responsible for pollinating one in three bites of food we eat and they're in trouble. Since the mid-1990s, they've been dying off in droves around the world. Colonies have been mysteriously collapsing with adult bees disappearing, seemingly abandoning their hives. This is widely known as Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD — is likely caused by a variety of interacting factors, including pathogens, loss of habitat and increased exposure to systemic and other pesticides.
 
If honey bees disappear we will lose much of our world food supply. We should help save honey bees because while grains do not require honey bees to flourish, virtually all of our non-grain foods are dependent on honey bee pollination to a large degree. Here is a fact we all need to remember: worldwide there are 90 different food plants that depend almost exclusively on the honey bee. In the U.S. honey bees are considered critical pollinators of many fruits, nuts and vegetables. Your own diet will be changed dramatically if we lose our honey bees. 

What Can YOU do to Help Save Honey Bees 

• Grow nectar plants in your own gardens so your local bees have the food they need.
• Use concentrated vinegar 30% (not supermarket vinegar, can be bought online) to kill weeds instead of herbicides. Recipe: 1 gallon 30% vinegar, 1 cup salt (Epsom or table), 1 Tbsp dish soap.  The soap is to make solution stick to weed.
• Eliminate chemicals pesticides; most states have master gardeners or county extension services to help you find naturals ways to control pests.
• Support local beekeepers by buying locally produced honey and other beehive products. Honey is the best "green" sweetener you can buy.
• Stay involved and in the know – check out organizations like The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) 

Check out these sites to learn more:
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture/save-the-bees/
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/8-ways-attract-bees-and-butterflies
Learn about natural pest control - http://www.planetbee.org/natural-pest-control/

---