Eco-Friendly Flora to Protect Our Fauna
“Bee” Kind to Vital Insects
Among the endless possibilities for building and living greener in Costa Rica, we can think beyond measures to conserve resources like electricity and water. By applying some basic planet-protective principles to your home landscape, you can place your little piece of paradise into action. It’s a matter of making more thoughtful planting decisions for your property.
We need to embrace one of our most threatened food chain contributors, the bee.
Plant native tree species around your new dwelling — those that create shade so you, as well as other creatures, can enjoy. Spread your good will for a wider environmental reach. Plant trees not only on your own land, but wherever your travels lead. Whenever possible, dry out the seeds shed by your trees at home. Then during the rainy season, scatter them as you pass by open areas. No one will object to a wonderful tree that bears shade and possibly fruit. Our planet needs as many trees planted as possible.
Simply choosing native flower-bearing trees and bushes can make all the difference in creating safe spaces for bees to be able to pollinate and reproduce. Take it a step further — if you have sufficient land and space — and create your own beehives to produce honey as well as a safe haven for bees.
Talking about bees, the need to embrace one of our most threatened food chain contributors cannot be underestimated. This insect plays a vital pollen delivery role to sustain our food crops, and in turn, human survival, and should never be taken for granted. Yet, at a time when pesticides are depleting bee populations around the world, relatively little awareness of this extremely important issue is being promoted.
Costa Rica is no exception. Here, neonicotinoids (Bayer trade name Imidacloprid) are openly used as a pesticide on fields of cotton, rice, banana, sugarcane, melon, onions, citrus, oranges, potatoes, cereals, flowers and more. This compound has proven toxic properties that attack insects systemically and can live in the soil for up to nine years. In bees, it causes disorientation and eventually death. This pesticide was banned in the EU after scientific studies proved conclusively the deadly impact on bee populations.
On a related note — as always — conserve water. For landscape irrigation, use a drip system rather than a hose to water plants. Elsewhere in your home, never leave a water faucet running under any circumstance. Use plumbing fixtures that consume the minimum amount of water, and choose appliances with the same goal by checking specifications before you purchase. If you live in a coastal area and build a new pool, fill it with water imported from abundant resources without depleting the supply of treated water from a local aquifer.