Honey honey! How you thrill me...

Showing support for our buzzy buddies

It's widely known that bee numbers have been declining quite a bit in recent years. This is bad bad news for many reasons (namely growing food for earth creatures to eat!). There are a number of contributing factors in the suspects corner: climate change, pesticides, mono-agriculture... all the things that are unfortunately a way of life in modern culture.

Uggggg.

Last night I watched a good but disheartening documentary on the Beeb (no pun intended), "Who Killed The Honey Bee." It looked into the widespread phenomena of bees dying in their droves - known as colony collapse disorder.

I had a few favorite bits - including the profile of the bee exporters from Australia (imagine putting big aul boxes of bees on an airplane!) - the whole hierarchy of bee colonies, from the foragers to the 'cleaners' and of course the queen. But my absolute most favorite bit was the profile of the 'urban beekeeper' in London who has had no decline in his population for over 5 years. The logical explanation? Cities are actually filled with greenspaces and gardens planted with colorful flowers at all times of the year as opposed to giant mono-cultured farms covered in pesticides and a lack of plant variety.

Coincidentally, this morning I came across a locally produced doc about colony collapse disorder, which is about to hit the big screen at the Toronto Film Fest. Ooooh - it looks beautiful.


It nearly makes me want to try my hand at beekeeping when I somehow buy my dreamhouse with large back garden. *sigh* Until then, I'll have to just continue providing some much needed color to my local urban bees. I do get regular visits from some bit fat fuzzy bumble bees who seem enamored with my windowsill nasturtiums, busy busy violas and fushias who have returned en force since I re-potted them a few months ago. Oh and my newest project... the incredible growing clematis! Lahvely no?


And Below you cans see my Bumblebee buddy who came for a visit just this very morning.


Lets go bees! Come on the bees!