How to protect your pollinators

Photo courtesy of Wild Mountain Bees

By Jon Christie

Bees and other pollinators are an essential component to the health and function of our environment. Managed honeybee colonies alone contribute over 16 billion dollars of economic value to agriculture in the US. It is estimated that 30 percent of the food we eat is entirely dependent on bee-pollinated plants.

Unfortunately, pollinators are in decline worldwide. Like the proverbial canary in the coal mine — our pollinators are giving us a warning we should heed. Fortunately, there are ways we can promote and encourage pollinators in today’s challenging environment:

Photo Courtesy of Wild Mountain Bees.
Photo Courtesy of Wild Mountain Bees.

Create pollinator nesting habitats: Visit xerces.org for more information on some simple ways to construct nesting sites.

Create pollinator friendly gardens: Include plants rich in high-quality pollens and nectar to nourish visiting pollinators. Visit pollinator.org for a list of beneficial plants native to your region.

Practice and promote organic methods and avoid all of the “-cides:” A growing body of research suggests that not only insecticides but also herbicides and fungicides are affecting our pollinators.

Get involved: Support the Xerces society and other pollinator organizations. Join your local beekeeper association (visit wncbees.org) and support your local beekeepers and initiatives like Bee City USA.

Become a beekeeper: Wild Mountain Bees is a local source for honey, bee products, bees, classes and beekeepers supplies.
Wild Mountain Bees is a family owned business located at 425 Weaverville Road. We offer honey products, pollinator friendly plants and seeds, bee-related literature and beekeeping supplies, workshops and events.

Jon Christie is a beekeeper and the owner of Wild Mountain Bees.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.