3 Easy Ways to Help Save the Bees (And Why it Matters)
By Ginny Aaron
Something that has been near and dear to my heart for a long time is the devastating drop in the global honeybee population.
Honeybees ALONE are responsible for pollinating 80% of fruits and vegetables.Considering how much we depend on these little pollinators for the vast majority of our food, their demise could spell our demise, which is why this should be very concerning to all humans, not just farmers and homesteaders.
My own fascination with bees started as a child. I especially loved bumblebees, and when I was young I would go outside and try my hardest to catch them. I thought of them in the same way a cat lover must think of a kitten!
As I got older and realized that not every bee was the same, I started learning about them through library books, internet searches, and just observing them outdoors.
Finally, as an adult, my dream of having my own apiary came true one day when my amazing husband came home with the greatest surprise for me: my very first beehive! To say that I was elated is a gross understatement.
I’ve learned so much from studying bees over the years. I could probably sit here and drag on and on about how their bodies function and how they communicate, but I’ll spare you the in-depth science lesson for now. What we really need to talk about is what we can do to help save the bees, and the many reasons why we need to!
Some Scary Statistics About Bee Populations
In the US alone, in 2018, beekeepers reported an overall 40% loss of their hives. That’s a terrible loss! And when you think about the beehives that are not reported that number just gets higher and higher. A small, new colony has about 10,000 bees. Established colonies can have upwards of 40,000 bees. These numbers just make me so sad! I look at it like this: If an apiary has 10 hives and they lose 40%, that’s four full hives of typically 25,000-60,000 bees. That’s a lot of little lives lost!
Studies find that the use of chemical pesticides AND herbicides play a large role in the otherwise unexplainable deaths of honeybees. Pesticides get on the flowers and plants that these sweet little creatures are collecting nectar and pollen from. Then they bring the poison back to their hive and contaminate the entire colony!
It can also contaminate the places that honeybees get their water. Herbicides (even the ones that state “safe for pollinators”) are BAD! Those pesky weeds that you are so desperately trying to kill are the very source that many honeybees go to get their pollen and their nectar. If you MASS kill those weeds and wildflowers, you are starving the bees!
Honeybees will travel 2-5 miles from their hive on their daily hunt for food. Being that they go so far, I even worry about my neighbors using chemical sprays. So please think twice before spraying pesticides and herbicides.
When I go shopping, I cringe when I see people purchasing those nasty chemical sprays. So as a “beek” myself, I ask you to please reconsider purchasing those harmful chemicals. I cannot expect every person to let their yards and gardens be covered in weeds, but maybe you could find a safer alternative to getting rid of them and leave a small area designated to helping your local pollinators.
Honeybees, alone, are responsible for pollinating 80% of the fruits, vegetable and seed crops! According to this article from Yale University, “one of every three bites of food eaten worldwide depends on pollinators, especially bees, for a successful harvest.” We literally depend on bees and other pollinators in order to feed ourselves and the world’s population.
Bottom line is that chemical pesticides and herbicides are bad for bees, bad for the planet and bad for you!
Here’s another interesting statistic: Bees need to pollinate 2 MILLION flowers just to make ONE pound of honey! Each worker bee will visit 50 to 100 flowers each time they leave the hive! In that one pound of honey, you will find the life work of approximately 768 worker bees!
Honey is also the only food that contains all the substances necessary to sustain life, including water! It really should be it’s own food group!
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How YOU Can Help Save the Bees
Wondering how YOU can help save the bees? Here are 3 simple ways you can make a HUGE difference!
Plant Flowers
You can find flowers that grow wonderfully in the Fall. Plant them! In pots, in the ground, in a raised bed, anywhere! Bees will just be happy to know that they can find food for their colony to make it through the upcoming winter. There are so many flowers to choose from, but I will list you my favorites!
- Asters – These perennials form dense mounds of white, purple, pink, or blue flowers! These daisy-like blooms are certain to make the bees do their happy dance!
- Chrysanthemums – These festive Fall flowers are wide-known and breathtaking! Mums are available in seasonal shades of red, orange, yellow, peach, contrasting shades of pink, and white. They make a great container plant, so know back-breaking digging needed!
- Pansies – More of a vibrant colored flower, they come available in just about every shade of the rainbow! When you plant these flowers in the Fall, they come back to bloom again in the Spring! And the bees will thank you, twice!
- Dianthus – These make a great cool-season flower. Along with the beautiful colors that range from white and pink to red and purple, they have a terrific fragrance! So, you will want to plant these ones where you can not only see them, but you can take in the amazing fragrance!
- Black-Eyed Susans – These are a bold and beautiful flower. One of my favorites. These flowers are a bold golden-yellow in color and shaped like a daisy. They are great for container or in the garden bed. Pair them with some mums and asters and your fall flower garden will be a showstopper.
- Bee Balm – Like the name suggests, bee balm attracts bees along with other pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies to you garden. Plant it on its own or as part of a wildflower mix.
- Borage – Another beautiful addition to your garden, borage not only attracts bees, it is also said to boost honey production. Consider planting borage especially if you have an apiary and produce your own honey.
Set Up Watering Areas
Honeybees do not need the same water that we (and other animals) need. In fact, honeybees will drink from water that we look at as undesirable. They get their nutrients from the “stuff” in the water. They will happily choose to drink from a shallow bird bath, rain gutters, or just murky puddles on the ground. Seems easy enough, right? Well, here’s the catch: honeybees can’t swim. If they land in the water, they’ll be unable to fly and will likely drown in the water.
So, how can YOU help?
- Shallow Bird Baths – You can fill these bird baths with water, add a sprinkle of table salt. Find a few corks and toss in. The corks give the bees a place to land and they can drink from the bird bath. If you do not have a cork, packing peanuts (just make sure they are not the ones that will dissolve in water), rocks, small pieces of wood. Anything for them to land on to get that much need drink of water. When filling the bird bath, do not worry about washing it out. The algae that will form around the edges of the water makes for added nutrients that the bees so need. Fallen leaves also will decay and make the water even more inviting to your local pollinators.
- Soaker Hose – I haven’t tried this one out, but I can’t wait to give it a whirl! All you do is coil the soaker hose up and then you can fill the center with dirt and plant a flower in it. Turn the soaker hose on periodically throughout the day and the water that comes out is the perfect little bee sized drops! I found this idea on Pinterest and really cannot wait to try it out. I would love to see pictures and hear about it if y’all give this idea a try.
- Hummingbird Feeders – This is a dual-purpose feeder. Just do not add the red food coloring to it. You can put water with a little table salt or even sugar water that will be loved by hummingbirds and bees alike. In the Fall, a ratio of 2:1 sugar to water will be perfect.
NEVER Use Chemical Pesticides or Herbicides!!!
This tip is pretty self-explanatory. But I’ll tell you just how bad it is…
Chemical Pesticides
Chemical pesticides will take down an entire colony! The bees will make their way out of their hive and no sooner do they make it to the entrance, and they will become too weak to fly. They fall to the ground and die. How can you tell if a beehive has been poisoned? When the bees die of chemical pesticide poisoning they fall to their death and their tongues will hang out of their mouths:(
The worker bees leave the hive in the morning to start their daily tasks of visiting 50-100 flowers per trip. If they land where pesticides are present and make it back to their hive (the chemicals can be present in the pollen that they collect and carry on their legs), they will unload their ‘pollen pockets’ exposing the entire colony to the poison.
Chemical Herbicides
Herbicides also play a part in the destruction of bees, even the ones labelled “Safe for Pollinators.” When you kill all the weeds that flower with chemical herbicides, you’re taking food away from the honeybees. Honeybees have to be able to visit tons of flowers to provide enough food to feed their entire colony for the entire winter, so taking any sources of food away from them can affect the health and survival of the entire colony.
Honeybees also don’t leave their hive in the winter. They stay huddled up together to maintain the hive temperature at about 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Regardless of the temperature outside the hive – whether it’s 107 degrees or -20 degrees – the beehive temperature remains constant. So they need all the food hey can get when it’s in season to get them through the winter.
Dandelions are one of the best flowers to keep around for bees and they’re also one of the most heavily sprayed crops. Read more about the benefits of dandelions for bees AND humans and how to make your own dandelion salve here.
Bees depend on us, and we depend on them
These are just three ways that YOU can help save the bees: Provide them with food and water, and don’t poison them. Simple enough, right? And since we depend on them as much as (or even more than) they depend on us, the more we can help save the bees, the more they can help save us!
Don’t just think about it, BEE the change you want to see ?
What other ways can you think of to help save the bees? I would love to know what the other homesteaders of the world are doing to help our tiny little friends. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
My name is Ginny Lynn Aaron. I’m just a Pittsburgh woman who fell in love with a Texas man. My husband and I are raising our three children, tucked back into the woods, while teaching them to be self-sufficient and self-reliant.
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It’s easy to romanticize homesteading, but the truth is that those homegrown vegetables, those freshly laid eggs, that loaf of bread rising on the counter, and that pantry full of home-canned food takes time, effort and dedication. It doesn’t “just happen” overnight!
But if you work on learning one new skill at a time and gain confidence in it before moving onto the next, one day you’ll be looking back and marvelling at how far you’ve come.
That’s where I’m at now. Life today looks a lot different than it did 10 years ago, when our homesteading and self-reliance journey was just beginning.
Back then we still lived in our city condo and were just beginning to dabble in all of this stuff. But my husband Ryan and I felt a sense urgency to start pursuing a more self-reliant lifestyle, and we committed to taking small steps, one day at a time to make that vision a reality.
Over the years we’ve continued to put one foot in front of the other, adding new skills and tackling new projects along the way that have helped us get to where we are today.
While there’s always more we want to learn and do, as I look around me right now, I’m so grateful that we took those first steps, especially considering what’s happened in the world over the past few years!
If you’re also feeling the urgency to take the first (or next) steps toward a more self-reliant life, this is your final reminder that today is the last day to join The Society of Self-Reliance and start levelling up your homesteading and self-sufficiency skills so that you’ve got what it takes to:
• Grow your own groceries
• Stock your pantry
• Create a natural home
• Get prepared
• Learn other important life skills like time management for homesteaders, goal setting and how to become your own handyman
And more!
If you’ve been feeling called to level up your self-reliance skills (because let’s be honest, we’re in for a wild ride these next few years with everything going on in the world), now is the time to heed that call.
Link in profile to enroll before midnight tonight, or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society
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There are so many reasons to grow your own food at home:
💰 Saves you money at the grocery store
🍴 Healthier than conventionally grown food
🔑 increases your overall food security
🫙 Gives you an abundance to preserve and share
But perhaps the number one reason is because it just tastes better!
Not only does food taste better when it’s freshly picked or allowed to ripen on the vine, there’s something about putting in the work to grow something from a tiny seed and then getting to see it on your dinner plate that just makes it so much more satisfying than anything you’ll ever buy from the store.
Plus, having to wait all year for fresh tomatoes or strawberries or zucchinis to be in season makes that short period when they’re available just that much more exciting!
With the world spinning out of control and food prices continuing to rise, it’s no wonder more people are taking an interest in learning to grow their own food at home. But that also means changing our relationship with food and learning to appreciate the work that goes into producing it and the natural seasonality of organically grown fruits and vegetables.
(It also means learning to preserve it so you can make the most of it and enjoy homegrown food all year long).
In my online membership program, The Society of Self-Reliance, you’ll learn how to grow your own food, from seed to harvest, as well as how to preserve it so you can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor all year long!
You’ll also learn how to grow and craft your own herbal medicine, detox your home, become your own handyman, and so much more (because self-reliance is about more than just the food that we eat… But that’s a pretty good place to start!)
The doors to the Society are now open for a limited time only. Click the link in my profile or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society to learn more.
#foodsecurity #homegrownfood #homesteading #selfreliance #selfsufficiency #homegrownfoodjusttastesbetter
If you’ve been watching events unfold over the past few years and you’re feeling called to start “cutting ties” with the system and begin reclaiming your independence, The Society of Self-Reliance was made for you!
When I first launched this online membership program last year, my goal was to create a one-stop resource where members could go to learn and practice every aspect of self-reliance, as well as a space to connect with other like-minded people pursuing the same goal. And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you join!
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn inside the Society:
🌱 Food Security and Self-Sufficiency: Learn the art of growing and preserving your own food, ensuring you and your loved ones have access to nutritious meals year-round.
🌿 Natural Living and Herbal Medicine Mastery: Discover the secrets to creating a low-tox home and and to growing, making and using herbal remedies to support your family’s health, naturally.
🔨 Essential Life Skills: Learn essential life skills like time management, effective goal setting and practical DIY skills to become more self-sufficient.
As a member, you’ll enjoy:
📚 Monthly Video Lessons: Gain access to our ever-growing library of video lessons, with fresh content added each month.
📞 Live Group Coaching Calls: Participate in our monthly live group coaching calls, where we deep dive into a different self-reliance topic every month, and do live demonstrations and Q&A’s.
🏡 Private Community: Join our private community forum where you can ask questions, share your progress, and connect with like-minded individuals.
I only open the doors to The Society once or twice each year, but right now, for one week only, you can become a member for just $20/month (or $200/year).
In today’s world, self-reliance is no longer a luxury, a “cute hobby,” it’s a necessity. Join us inside The Society of Self-Reliance and empower yourself with the skills you need to thrive in the new world!
Link in profile or visit thehouseandhomestead.com/society to learn more.
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Got out for an early morning harvest today. Been up since 3am, contemplating life, the future and the past, the order of things…
There is a rumbling right now, not just in North America, but around the world. Many of us can feel it, and know we are on the precipice of something big.
I’d been hearing about this new song that’s become an overnight viral sensation, written by an (until now) unknown singer named Oliver Anthony. His new song Rich Men North of Richmond has had 14 million views on YouTube in the past week alone, so I decided to check it out.
I also saw a clip of him playing a Farmers Market last week, and anything that has to do with Farmers Markets always has my attention;)
I can’t tell you how many tears I’ve already cried listening to that song. If you’ve heard it already, you probably know what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t, I highly recommend giving it a listen. All I can say is it’s been a while since a song resonated so deeply with me, and in this strange new world, I know I’m not the only one.
One of the lines in Anthony’s song is “Livin’ in the new world, with an old soul,” and that’s something I think so many of us in the homesteading community can relate to.
Trying to cling to better days; To a simpler time; To the old ways, all while doing our best to get by in the new world.
The world has changed drastically in the last few years especially, and it’s set to change in immense ways over the next few years. Today I’m feeling thankful for people like @oliver_anthony_music_ who give a voice to what so many are feeling right now.
Know that if you’re feeling it too, you’re far from alone. And while the future may feel uncertain and even a little scary, remember that if we stand united, we the people are a force to be reckoned with.
(Continued in comments…)
Another garlic harvest in the books!
Garlic is easily one of my favourite crops to grow. It’s pretty much a “set if and forget it” crop. We plant in the fall and leave it to overwinter, fertilize a couple times in the spring, start watering only once the ground starts to dry out, and then harvest in the summer. We can even plant a fall succession crop after our garlic if we want so it really makes great use of garden space all year round.
Over the years we’ve managed to become completely self-sufficient with garlic. We now grow enough to eat all year (and then some!), plus we save our own seed garlic and usually have extra to sell or give away. And around here fresh, organic garlic ain’t cheap, so it’s a good cash crop for anyone who’s serious about selling it.
It took me a few years to really get the hang of garlic, but it’s one crop I’m now very confident with (knock on wood, because it’s always when we make statements like this that next year’s crop fails! Lol.)
A while back I compiled a comprehensive guide to growing, harvesting and using garlic both as an edible and medicinal crop. This is usually only available as part of a paid bundle (or in the fall 2022 issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine if you’re a subscriber;), but for a limited time I’m offering it for free, no strings attached!
Plus you’ll also get access to my step-by-step video lesson on planting garlic so you can set yourself up for success with your garlic crop this year.
Comment “Garlic” below or head to thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-guide to get your free copy!
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Going through photos and videos from our trip to the @modernhomesteadingconference and the vast majority are of our daughter having the time of her life!
Even if I personally got nothing else out of this gathering (which I most certainly did), watching her discover her own love of this lifestyle outside of what we do at home made my heart grow three sizes!
Homesteading is about so much more than homegrown food and self-reliance. It’s about passing on invaluable skills and an understanding of and respect for our connection to the land that provides for us to the next generation.
Being around so many other kids and families who are also pursuing a homesteading lifestyle helped show our little one that this is a movement that is so much bigger and greater than what our own family does on our little plot of land. This is a lifestyle worth pursuing, with a community unlike any other.
Glad to be back home and more excited than ever to involve my kids in everything we’re doing. But also, I think I speak for my whole family when I say we can’t wait to go back someday!
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#homesteading #modernhomesteading #raisinglittles
If you’re simply looking for ways to save a little extra cash this summer and live well for less, here are 12 tried and tested frugal living tips for summer that you can use to save money this season without sacrificing a thing.
Head over using the link in my bio!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-frugal-living-tips-summer/
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A brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine just dropped!
In this issue:
🌱 How to forage and use five common edible and medicinal weeds
🏠 A sustainable, affordable alternative to traditional homes, greenhouses and more
👨👩👧👦 Tips for managing a homestead while raising a family (big or small!)
🫙 What to focus on when preserving food for true food security
🌹 How to grow and arrange your own cut flowers at home
🍓 The many ways to preserve summer berries (including 5 delicious recipes!)
💇How to make your own all-natural herbal hair care products at home
🧑🌾 Why “community sufficiency” is the new self-sufficiency
And more!
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com (or click the link in my bio) to subscribe or login to the library and read the latest issue.
Plus, be sure to check out all of our past issues as well! There’s a wealth of information in our library on everything from farming and gardening to cooking and canning to herbal medicine, natural living and so much more!
*** This will be the last quarterly issue! ***
This little magazine has grown so much over the past 4 years and 32 issues, and now it’s time for another exciting evolution.
I’m excited to announce that we will be moving to an even more robust annual publication with the intention of offering the first ever print edition this fall if there is enough demand.
I’m also excited to announce the brand new Modern Homesteading Magazine blog, which is currently under construction and will be launching soon. While we will still be maintaining digital subscriptions, the blog will be accessible to all, free of charge, so that more people might benefit from the empowering and increasingly important information that we cover in each issue.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this issue happen! @homesteadingfamily @oatsandhoneyhomestead @omnivore.culture @thetaylor.leigh @doeraydesign (and more who don’t have IG pages;)
And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has subscribed over the years. Modern Homesteading Magazine would never have become what it is today without each and every one of you.
#homesteading #modernhomesteading #selfsufficiency
If you’ve ever grown your own garlic, you might have noticed the spiral-shaped shoots that suddenly pop up in the centre of the stem, usually about a month or so before the garlic bulbs themselves are ready to be harvested.
These are garlic scapes, and believe it or not- they make delicious pesto! Get the recipe through the link in my bio- https://thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-scape-pesto/
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This honey and chive blossom vinaigrette is a frugal, easy and healthy homemade salad dressing that pairs beautifully with fresh garden salads all season long.
Get the recipe through the link in my bio.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/chive-blossom-vinaigrette/
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Whether you live in the city and grow a few herbs on your balcony, have a few backyard chickens in the suburbs or live in the country and have a larder full of enough home-canned food to survive the apocalypse, if living a more homemade, homegrown, self-sufficient lifestyle is important to you, Modern Homesteading Magazine was made for you!
Read it today through the link in my bio!
https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com/
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This radish top pesto recipe makes good use of the edible radish greens that often get discarded once they’re separated from the root. The end result is a peppery, slightly spicy twist on a classic pesto recipe.
A perfect condiment for all your summer snacking!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/radish-top-pesto-recipe/
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Texas had a freeze in February & wiped out all the flowers. I make 2 cups of WARM water & add two tablespoons of sugar. I also put little pebbles in the water so they have a place to land. On sunny days the bees just swarm around the water. Sometimes I have to fill it 3 times in one day.
That’s so thoughtful of you! Yes, these little creatures need all the help they can get right now.