Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or European Honey Bee Colony abruptly disappear. For instance, in some countries, like the UK, some bumblebee species have already gone extinct. Colony collapse is significant economically because many agricultural crops worldwide are pollinated by European honey bees. Shortages of bees in the US have increased the cost to farmers renting them for pollination services by up to 20%.
Losses were reported in migratory operations wintering in California, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas. In late February, some larger non-migratory beekeepers in the mid-Atlantic and Pacific Northwest regions also reported significant losses of more than 50%. Colony losses also were reported in five Canadian provinces, several European countries, and countries in South and Central America and Asia. In 2010, the USDA reported that data on overall honey bee losses for 2010 indicated an estimated 34% loss.
So how can we help our buzzing friends? There are definitely some companies, causes and amazing creatures out there doing their part to Save the Bees!
Waxelene
I had a great meeting with the Co-Founder of this incredible company this week. Waxelene contains only 4 super important and GMO-free ingredients, including Natural Beeswax and the highest quality organic oils instead of Petroleum. It creates the same waterproof barrier that doctors recommend petroleum jelly for but contains no petroleum or hydrogenated oil, and has over 100 different uses, including Pet-Friendly ones!
Waxelene has become extremely proactive about their bee-causes, including donating part of their profits of Waxelene (which is both extremely effective and extremely inexpensive – starting at $4.99 for a tube) to help Save The Bees.
You can also get a FREE sample of Waxelene and Puro3 by purchasing a Bee The Change T-Shirt on HoneyColony.com.
I am really excited to be working with this company and Representing them here in LA! If anyone wants a free sample, come on over! I have plenty! 🙂 Waxelene is just incredible, works wonders, and is unprecedented in what they represent as a healthy alternative for better skin!
The Busy Bee Beeswax Candles
Positive Ions: Microscopically, any ‘thing’ floating in the air is doing so because it has become ‘positively charged’. This includes everything from dust and pollen to toxic residues and emissions coming from household furnishings, rugs, construction materials, including viruses, bacteria and germs. Even odors like food smells from cooking, household pets, mold and mildew, all remain ‘smelly’ because they are ‘positively charged’, and suspended in the air and thus, are readily inhaled by us. These toxins become positively charged by static electricity, and can get trapped in recycled air produced by the heating systems we all use, as well as computers, refrigerators, etc.
Beeswax contains negative ions, which actually clean your air of odors, pollens, smoke, dust, dust mites, viruses and other allergens and hazards – the only known fuel to do so. Beeswax candles leave your air fresher and cleaner – they are a true air purifier. They are the only candle for anyone with chemical sensitivities or allergies.
Believe it or not, most commercial candles are made of poisonous chemicals.
Paraffin, most common in store bought candles, is petroleum industry waste that is bleached (adding dioxin and other poisonous chemicals) and texturized with acrolyn. Stearic acid, a byproduct of the meatpacking slaughterhouses, is added as a hardener. Often candles are highly scented with artificial, synthetic oils and marketed to “freshen” our precious air.
Beeswax is very different: all natural, non-toxic, non-polluting, non-allergenic, and with a delicious honey-sweet aroma. A perfect, renewable resource, beeswax is made by the female worker bee for honeycomb, which safely contains their honey and the Queen’s baby bees.
To produce one pound of beeswax, the worker bees eat about ten pounds of honey, fly 150,000 miles, and visit 33 million flower blossoms, making Beeswax really precious stuff!
All that said, I adore my Beeswax Candles from The Busy Bee! They smell wonderful, are long lasting, give off a beautiful light and improve my sleep and allergies!
Carefully Select Your Honey
Spend Cash – Cast a Vote! Carefully selecting your honey is a key way to send a message to your Retailer about Saving The Bees! Local honey from sustainable keepers who ensure their bees are treated well, local, organic farmers who provide the right native habitat for their bees is the best Honey to purchase! Williams Honey Farm is my favorite!
Grow A Pesticide-Free Garden
You’d be surprised how many edible organic plants you can grow to eat in a small space! In just my a 15 foot by 5 foot plot, I have about 20 different herbs, veggies and fruits growing, and my bees LOVE them! They also love my Wildflowers, which are the easiest thing you can plant to attract bees! While it’s very hard to come up with a simple solution to this very real phenomena, creating an organic environment and using pesticide-free nutrition methods in your garden makes for a bee-friendly home and environment.
Eat Organic & Spread The Word!
If you cannot grow your own, then try to select as much organic produce as you can when you are buying your shopping. If you buy at least some organic produce, your purchases, along with those of others, will send a signal to retailers, which will ultimately send a signal to farmers. Purchase not just honey, but as much of your groceries as possible from local producers who are using all natural methods and practices. Encourage your friends, family and neighbors to follow these simple steps to support foraging honeybees across your local community.
Happy Bee Saving!
Love & Light
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