The humble bee has been around for an incredibly long time, the oldest known bee fossil is around 100 million years old, when bees evolved hand in hand with flowering plants in the middle of the cretaceous period.
Then along came man and his sweet tooth. In Spanish cave paintings of 8,000 years ago, we can see humans harvesting honeycombs from wild hives. The relationship developed into a cultural and religious significance for communities all around the world. It's a symbiotic partnership that has helped the human race go beyond just surviving, to really thriving.
They are still critically important in the environment for sustaining biodiversity, by providing essential pollination.
Even today, 1 in every 3 mouthfuls of food humans consume are pollinated by our friend the bee.
But sadly the bee is in trouble. Since 2006 bee populations have been dying off in huge numbers, with a loss of nearly 50% in some areas. Scientists have named this, colony collapse disorder.
There are several contributing factors which include intensive farming and pesticide use in particular, neonicotinoids, which use a process of coating the seeds in chemicals before the are planted, polluting the soil which affects the plants, rivers and waterways.
Attacks by invasive species such as the Asian Hornet, starvation and poor health due to the environmental changes.
With our countryside in such poor health, it is not surprising that our urban areas have become a vital source of food.
Fortunately there is a lot we can do to help the bees. Hanging baskets, balconies and back gardens, all have great potential to create a network of nutritious way stations for your local bee population.
The simplest way is to start planting. There is a huge variety of bee friendly plants to choose from. Flowers, herbs, fruit, veg and shrubs, so you really don't need a lot of space to help. Particularly if you put away the toxic chemicals and use natures natural pesticides, you can have beautiful gardens that support your local bees.
Let's make bee extinction a scary bedtime story, rather than a reality, because where would we be without them?
Watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/725174872
In loving memory of Tim Brodrick 1939-2017.
To find out more visit www.thelittlewildones.com/beeforeextinction