Lib's Aromatherapy has joined in the race to help save the bees!
All bee species are essential for our ecosystem to stay healthy. After all, they are one of the main pollen collectors, spreading it far and wide to pollinate our trees and wildflowers which, in turn, supports other insects, birds, bats, mammals, and more. Take bees out of that equation and all would most certainly be lost.
But bees are losing their habitat and food sources because of many factors:
New Housing
However needed, new housing destroys large areas of natural habitat, taking away wildflower meadows and trees that bees and many other animals call home.
Farming
It's not so much farming that's the problem, but today's farming methods. These methods have had to change to suit our likes and dislikes.
"Pressure from supermarkets and ultimately from consumers – for perfect, unblemished crops, for ever-increasing yields, for the cheap food that pushes farm-gate prices significantly below the unit cost of production – is driving farmers towards agricultural intensification, towards increased chemical inputs (pesticides and fertilisers), and, increasingly, out of business." and "The increasing reluctance to buy ‘wonky’ fruit and vegetables has conspired to hugely reduce the nationwide density of the flowering plants that bumblebees feed on..." - Bumblebee Conservation Trust
Can we really blame farmers for having to follow the trend rather than go bankrupt? Of course not, they have to stay afloat! It's us, the consumers, that need to change the trend.
Ease of gardening
Many homeowners now choose aesthetically pleasing, clean and easy over nature-friendly gardens.
Unfortunately, paving, gravel and artificial grass over weeds, wildflowers, ponds and insect-loving trees is becoming the norm. These actions and many more are harming our ecosystem.
5 Simple Ways to Help Save the Bees and Protect Our Ecosystem
Rectifying the bigger issues is unlikely, but not all is lost if we all do our little bit to help.
Garden for nature
Choose natural over easy. You might find the more natural the garden is the prettier it becomes. And if you still choose artificial grass, paving and gravel over natural, then planting bee-friendly flowers in pots around the garden is a great way to attract the bees and provide them with a food source.
For more help, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has some great gardening advice for bee-friendly gardens big or small.
Provide a bee bath
Having a water feature in your garden, or creating a bee bath by arranging some stones in a shallow bowl and filling it just below with clean water will give the bees and many other insects water to drink in the hot weather.
Leave the Dandelion alone!
Some will call them ugly and unsightly, but did you know the Dandelion flower is the bee's first food after coming out of hibernation in the Spring? Avoid pulling these in early spring, at least leave them until they've finished flowering.
Choose wonky
Don't discriminate, pick up that wonky carrot. It tastes just as good! And does it really matter what it looks like if it's just going to get eaten?
Donation
Why not make a regular donation to support the research of these essential insects? Even as little as £1 helps. If 16 people donated £1 each, that's enough to buy "100g of wildflower seeds to create about 15 m2 of wildlife habitats"
how to support the bees through Lib's Aromatherapy
My Lip Balm with Rose Geranium & Orange contains some beautiful natural ingredients including beeswax, so I thought it necessary to save 50p from each sale of Lip Balm and donate it to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. This way I am giving back to pollinators for the use of their wax and helping to plant bee-friendly seeds, finance research and educate young children about our ecosystem and the positive impact the bees will have on their future and the future of our planet.
Every little bit, big or small, helps make a difference and so far I've raised £22.50! That's enough for 100g of wildflower seed to create around 15 m2 of habitat (the size of an average living room).
This and 50p from each sale of Rose Geranium & Orange Lip Balm and my Lip Balm + Nail & Cuticle Oil with Drawstring Bag between now and the end of 2024 will be donated in January 2025 to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
Thank you for supporting both your skin and the bees!
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