12 Powerful Ways to Help Save Our Disappearing Bees
Discover practical steps anyone can take to protect pollinators, revitalize ecosystems, and reverse bee decline in your community.
Bees are in crisis. These hardworking pollinators are responsible for fertilizing more than a third of the world’s food crops, yet their numbers have been plummeting due to habitat loss, pesticides, disease, and climate change. The good news? Every individual, homeowner, gardener, and community can play a role in reversing this alarming trend. This article explores 12 effective strategies you can start using today to help bees thrive—in your backyard, neighborhood, and beyond.
Why Bees Matter—and Why They’re Disappearing
Bees, both wild and domesticated, are the linchpin of global agriculture and wild plant communities. Through pollination, bees enable the reproduction of countless flowers, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. This ecosystem service supports not just human nutrition but also biodiversity and the fabric of the environment itself.
Unfortunately, bee populations worldwide are suffering declines driven by several interwoven threats:
- Habitat loss and fragmentation—urbanization, monoculture farming, and reduction of wild spaces
- Pesticide use—especially systematic neonicotinoids and fungicides harmful to bee health
- Pathogens and parasites—such as the varroa mite (for honey bees) and shared viral diseases
- Climate change—changing bloom times, temperature extremes, and habitat shifts
- Competition from introduced species—including managed honey bees crowding out native bees
With pollinators in peril, even small-scale efforts matter. Here’s how you can help.
1. Fill Your Garden With Bee-Friendly Flowers and Plants
One of the most beneficial steps is to grow a diverse array of flowers that provide nectar and pollen across the seasons. Bees need foraging resources from early spring through late fall.
- Include a range of flower shapes, sizes, and colors to support many species (not just honey bees).
- Choose varieties that bloom at different times for continuous food supply.
- Examples: coneflower, lavender, borage, asters, sunflowers, bee balm, goldenrod, and clover.
- Cluster the same species together to make it easier for bees to forage efficiently.
Native plants are especially important. They’re adapted to local bee species and often require less water and maintenance than exotics, making them perfect for sustainable gardening.
2. Say No to Pesticides—And Go Organic When Possible
Pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids and broad-spectrum insecticides, harm bees’ nervous systems and disrupt their foraging, navigation, and reproduction.
- Eliminate or drastically reduce pesticide use in your yard and garden.
- Look for the label—avoid products listing active ingredients like imidacloprid, clothianidin, or thiamethoxam.
- If you must use a pesticide, apply it at dusk when bees are inactive, and never treat plants in bloom.
What others are reading
Support organic farms and brands, as organic agriculture prohibits bee-toxic pesticides and often fosters better pollinator habitats.
3. Grow Native, Not Just Pretty
Native plants evolved alongside local bees and tend to provide more nutritious pollen and easier access to nectar. They’re often the best support for specialist bees that have co-evolved with a specific flower or plant family.
- Research native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees in your region.
- Replace exotic ornamentals with natives where possible in landscaping.
- Look for local seed swaps and regional native plant sales.
Even a small patch of native wildflowers in a suburban lawn or apartment balcony can foster rare or specialist bee species.
4. Provide Water Sources—Safely
Bees need clean water for drinking, cooling the hive, and diluting honey or larval food. Unlike pets, bees can’t drink from deep bowls, so create shallow water stations:
- Use a shallow dish or birdbath filled with clean water.
- Add pebbles, marbles, or floating corks so bees can land and sip without drowning.
- Replace water regularly to prevent mosquito breeding.
Natural water sources with muddy banks also support solitary bee species that use mud in nest construction.
5. Offer Homes for Bees: Leave Bare Soil and Install Nesting Boxes
Roughly 70% of solitary bees nest underground, while others like mason and leafcutter bees use hollow stems, wood, or pre-made holes.
- Set aside a sunny, undisturbed patch of bare ground for ground-nesting bees.
- Refrain from excessive mulching or tilling, which may destroy developing nests.
- Install bee hotels—bundles of clean, hollow reeds or wood blocks drilled with tunnels (3-8mm diameter, 4-6 inches deep).
- Position bee hotels 3-5 feet off the ground, facing southeast, and protect from rain.
Leave some plant stalks standing over winter for stem-nesting bees, as eggs or larvae develop inside.
6. Support Local and Organic Beekeepers
When you buy honey or beeswax products, choose offerings from small-scale, sustainable, local beekeepers whose practices strengthen rather than weaken pollinator health.
- Look for single-source, raw, or organic honey labels.
- Avoid ultra-processed or imported honey, which may not come from responsible operations.
- Ask how the beekeeper manages disease, feeding, and supports habitat biodiversity.
Supporting ethical apiculture helps set higher standards for bee care and benefits the broader landscape.
7. Think Beyond Honey Bees: Protect Native Bees Too
Honey bees (Apis mellifera), while familiar, are only one of thousands of global bee species—most of which are solitary and many of which are threatened. Native bees are vital for wild plant reproduction and specialized pollination (including foods that honey bees cannot pollinate well).
- Do not confuse bee conservation with simply keeping honey bees—some research shows large numbers of honey bees may actually compete with or spread disease to wild bees.
- Focus on habitat diversity, not just supporting managed bee colonies.
- Promote research and protection initiatives targeting native bees in your region.
8. Join or Start a Community Conservation Project
Collective efforts can have a dramatic impact. Look for (or launch) pollinator-focused activities locally:
- Neighborhood wildflower seedings
- Creating public pollinator gardens or meadows
- Habitat restoration after construction or development
- Organizing educational events, garden tours, or talks
Many conservation organizations offer starter kits, advice, and grant opportunities for community pollinator initiatives.
9. Champion Bee-Safe Legislation and Policy
Advocacy is vital for tackling bee decline at scale. Consider:
- Supporting local ordinances or state laws restricting bee-toxic pesticides.
- Pushing for habitat protection, green corridors, or road verge wildflower programs.
- Backing programs to protect rare or endangered bee species.
- Contacting representatives to fund pollinator research.
Public policy can be incredibly effective—many communities have successfully limited neonicotinoid use or protected key habitats through local action.
10. Become a Citizen Scientist
Ordinary people are making extraordinary contributions by monitoring pollinator health and diversity in their neighborhoods.
- Sign up for bee counting & identification projects (many run globally or locally).
- Photograph bees in your yard and submit them to online databases like iNaturalist or Bumblebee Watch.
- Log flowering times, observed bee species, and habitat conditions in your community.
This data helps scientists chart trends, discover at-risk species, and target conservation efforts more precisely.
11. Reduce Lawns and Mow Less Frequently
Traditional lawns provide little food or habitat for bees. Shift toward a bee-friendly yard:
- Replace swaths of turf grass with wildflowers, native grasses, or low-growing ground covers.
- Allow clover, dandelions, and other bee plants to bloom in your grass.
- Practice lazy lawn care—mow less often, raise cutting height, and skip weed treatments.
Each un-mowed section offers nectar, pollen, and nesting resources that can sustain local bee populations.
12. Educate and Inspire Others
The more people who care, the greater the chance of meaningful change. Share what you learn and inspire friends, family, and neighbors to become bee stewards:
- Host workshops or bee-siting walks.
- Recommend pollinator-friendly plants and resources.
- Correct misconceptions about bees and other stinging insects.
- Highlight positive news and success stories to spark hope and action.
Every conversation and every informed decision adds up.
Frequently Asked Questions about Helping Bees
Are all bees endangered?
Not all bees are endangered, but many species—especially bumble bees and solitary bees—are declining rapidly in parts of the world. Habitat loss, pesticides, and disease are major drivers. Honey bees, while facing health challenges, are not technically endangered globally due to managed colonies.
Why can’t we rely only on honey bees to pollinate crops?
Honey bees are important crop pollinators but cannot cover every plant or flowering period, and they aren’t effective for certain crops (like tomatoes and blueberries) pollinated chiefly by native bees. A diverse pollinator community is crucial for healthy agriculture.
Are bee hotels safe, or can they increase disease?
Bee hotels provide valuable nesting sites for solitary bees when kept clean and monitored. To avoid disease buildup, use natural materials, clean or replace blocks every 1-2 years, and avoid placing too many in one spot.
Do bees pose a danger to my family or pets?
Most bees are non-aggressive, especially solitary and native types. Even honey bees are docile when not disturbed. Teach children and pets to observe bees without disturbing nests, and enjoy pollinator watching safely.
How can I find bee-friendly plants specific to my location?
Consult regional native plant societies, cooperative extensions, or pollinator organizations for local plant lists. Choose varieties that bloom throughout the growing season for best support.
Table: Top Bee-Friendly Native Plants by North American Region
| Region | Plant Species | Bloom Time |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast | New England aster, bee balm, goldenrod | Summer–Fall |
| Midwest | Prairie blazing star, purple coneflower, wild indigo | Spring–Late Summer |
| West Coast | California poppy, ceanothus, yarrow | All Season |
| Southeast | Blue wild indigo, coreopsis, gaillardia | Spring–Fall |
| Southwest | Desert marigold, penstemon, globe mallow | Spring–Early Summer |
Final Thoughts: Every Action Counts
Saving bees is about more than any single quick-fix solution; it requires rethinking landscapes and fostering ecological diversity at every scale. The cumulative effect of millions of small actions—one wildflower patch, one pesticide-free community, one home garden at a time—offers the best hope for bees and, by extension, for ourselves.
References
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12192811/
- https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/71/12/1234/6427255
- https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9524-impact-beekeeping-native-bees-urban-settings
- https://www.xerces.org/endangered-species/wild-bees
- https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12839
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