How To Save The Bees Without Becoming A Beekeeper

There are many reasons to be a honey bee enthusiast! From their fascinating behavior to the invaluable work they do, honey bees are worthy of admiration. 

However, not everyone has the chance to commit to a life of beekeeping. How can you show your support for these powerful pollinators without donning the bee suit? 

Learn how to participate in the honey bee hype with these ideas for saving bees without becoming a beekeeper.

Avoid Pesticides In Your Garden for Bee-Friendly Flowers

How would you feel if you dug into a tasty meal only to find it covered in harmful chemicals? Using dangerous pesticides, insecticides, and other chemical solutions in your garden makes your flowering plants hazardous for solitary bees and other pollinators. Check the ingredients in your pesticides before you use them to avoid negatively affecting bee health.

Try to find organic and natural alternatives, such as pesticides made with garlic, kaolin clay, or other safe ingredients for native bees. Additionally, spraying at or after dusk—when wild bees retreat to their hives for the day—gives natural pesticides a chance to dissolve and become harmless before pollinators visit your bee-friendly garden.

Make Your Yard Pollinator-Friendly to Help Bee Populations

In addition to avoiding chemicals, you can make your garden a welcoming spot for worker bees and other local pollinators by planting a variety of flowers and setting up a drink station. Plant a diverse range of pollinator-friendly seeds that will flower at different times throughout the season so you can help prevent bee colony collapse by giving bees something to forage.

If you don’t have a garden, try to let weeds like dandelions grow into flowers to provide food and help save the bees. Dandelions are often one of the first food sources for bees in spring. They bloom early, providing a vital nectar and pollen source when other flowers have not yet opened. This makes them especially important for honey bees and other pollinators emerging after winter.

You can also set up a safe drinking station for the pollinating population. Place a clean, shallow dish of drinking water in your yard. Add sticks and rocks to give the bees a safe place to rest while they drink.

Creating a safe place in your yard for pollinators helps in bee conservation, especially when wild bee habitat is shrinking worldwide.

Support Local Beekeepers to Preserve Honey Bee Colonies

There are many ways to support beekeepers and the work they do. Visit your neighborhood farmers’ market to purchase and eat honey and other beehive products. Some apiaries even let you adopt a hive and support it financially while the beekeeper puts the work into keeping your bees safe and healthy.

If someone keeps beehives in your neighborhood, respect their space and encourage your neighbors not to disturb the hives to avoid habitat loss and preserve pollinator health. Finally, you can work with beekeepers to protect bees from community hazards. If you spot a swarm, call a beekeeper instead of an exterminator. Save the bees by relocating the swarm instead of harming the colony.

Of course, beekeeping is always a valuable way to help your local honey bee population. If you’re interested in taking your first steps as a beekeeper, you can get all the supplies you need with our beginner essentials collection. With the right tools, educational resources, and a welcoming community at your side, you can help save bees not just in your local environment but all over the world.