3 things to do right now to help pollinators

September is Bee Aware Month and NZ Gardener magazine has started a huge campaign to help gardeners help bees. Here’s what you can do:

1. Sign the petition calling for a ban on bee-harming pesticides that contain neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are a group of insecticides that act on the nervous system of insects. They are systemic insecticides, which means they enter into the plant’s tissue and move around the whole plant to protect it from pests and predators. That means bees and pollinators do not have to have contact with the spray residue, they can absorb the neuro-toxins via the plants pollen and nectar. You can sign the petition here.

2. Take part in The Great Kiwi Bee Count. It is a citizen science project intended to provide a base line for generations of research into the bees that are responsible for pollinating a third of everything we eat and drink. Kiwis young and old are encouraged to get into their gardens, parks or neighbourhood – preferably on a sunny day – pick a plant, and count how many bees they see. The data gathered from across New Zealand over the month will help scientists work out the state of bee health and numbers in the country, and provide a baseline figure for a future ‘‘bee census’’. It takes two minutes and you’ll learn about different pollinators. Go to The Great Kiwi Bee Count now!

3. Register your bee-friendly garden. Every copy of the September issue of NZ Gardener comes with a free packet of bee-friendly wildflower seeds. Just sow these seeds in your own garden, at your school or in your neighbourhood and then add your address to our interactive Plan Bee map. Once you have added your details, a little bee icon will pop up on the to mark your place. Over the course of the month, we’ll be able to see

New Zealand becoming more friendly to bees and beneficial pollinators... one garden at a time! Enter your Plan Bee planting site now!