Throughout the country, efforts are underway to cultivate habitat for bees. Recently, the federal government committed $3 million dollars to support honeybees in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. And in California’s Central Valley, researchers are encouraging ranchers and farmers to grow plants that attract pollinators.
Bees desperately need this assistance as they face habitat loss and threats like parasites, insecticides, and disease. And farmers need bees – each year, beekeepers transport honeybees around the country to pollinate commercial crops like fruits and nuts. It is estimated that bees increase agricultural crop value by an incredible $15 billion dollars every year.
Yet honeybee and native bee species continue to decline. Researchers hope habitat restoration will lead to healthier, more robust populations – but there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Efforts must be tailored to the needs of different regions.
In the Midwest, ranchers are being asked to rotate grazing pastures, so flowering plants will constantly be available for bees. The new government program also encourages farmers and ranchers to grow crops like alfalfa and clover. These plants serve a dual purpose – they attract bees and are also forage for livestock.
Setting aside acreage for bee-friendly shrubs and plants may be a tough sell for farmers who seek to maximize profits by using every square inch of available land. But with such a sizable impact on the agricultural industry, supporting pollinators is everyone’s responsibility.
**********
.
Web Links
Program Looks to Give Bees a Leg (or Six) Up
Photo, taken March 8, 2013, courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via Flickr.
.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.