How you can help save bees in the Lehigh Valley
Pollinators are crucial to our existence — one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of them. In the United States, honeybees and wild bees contribute $20 billion each year to agriculture and industries that depend on agriculture, according to the American Beekeeping Federation.
But pollinators are in trouble. In the United States, beekeepers have lost 30% of their hives each year since 2006.
In 2015, the Pittsburgh PostGazette reported that Pennsylva- nia’s average honeybee die-off rate had climbed to 60% — the sixth highest in the nation that year. Although population changes in other pollinator species, such as moths, butterflies, beetles and bats have not been as closely tracked, we do know that many are at risk, or even edging toward extinction.
According to Amy Faivre, professor of biological sciences at Allentown’s Cedar Crest College, “Habitat loss and the disturbance of natural areas are two of the main threats to pollinators in the Lehigh Valley.” The region has experienced many drastic land-use changes in the past few decades. Particularly common is the conversion of farmland to residential developments, resulting in a lack of sustenance and habitat area for many species of pollinators.
Climate change, pesticides, loss of native vegetation and diseases (particularly among honeybees) are the other core causes of pollinator decline, and they are all interconnected. Due to climate change, plants are now blooming a month earlier than they did 45 years ago. This leaves pollinators without food and plants unpollinated.
Pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, can kill pollinators, shorten lifespans and/or impair their ability to complete innate tasks, such as finding their hive.
Colony collapse disorder is a disease where the majority of the worker bees in a hive leave, and the hive collapses. The varroa mite, an external parasitic mite that feeds on honeybees, is the main cause of the disease, which is responsible for much of the die-off of commercial honeybees.
So: What can you do to help pollinators and increase their numbers, both in your yard and in the Lehigh Valley?
1. Plant native plants: Switching one’s garden to mostly native plants is the most important step the average person can take to limit pollinator decline. Native plants have specific adaptations to the region in which they evolved and play a crucial role in their ecosystems. Without them, local pollinators (and all wildlife) struggle to find food and shelter.
2. Limit pesticides: “If you see an insect or insect damage, research to find out what the insect is, its life cycle, how much damage it will actually make and what targeted steps you can take to control it if necessary,” advises Louise Schaefer, co-owner of native plant nursery Edge of the Woods in Orefield. “Remember, if nothing is eating your plants, your plant is not playing a role in the ecosystem.”
3. Stray from the “manicured” lawn: How much “perfect” lawn area do you really need? Reduce your lawn size and plant native gardens and mini meadows in the rest of the area. Additionally, sometimes doing less is more. Leaving some leaf litter and branches can do a world of good, as they are part of the insect life cycle. Bark mulch can harm pollinators. It is best to use a leaf-based mulch, or none at all when possible. If you live in Bethlehem, Bethlehem Backyards for Wildlife is an amazing group for those interested in sustainable gardening practices.
4. Support local organic farmers: Organic farming maintains healthy and stable pollinator population rates much more successfully than its conventional counterpart. Buying organic supports both pollinators and the farmers who utilize nontoxic practices. Buy Fresh Buy Local Greater Lehigh Valley is a great program that connects consumers to local farmers. You can find listings of farms near you at www.buylocalglv.org/ about-buy-local/
5. Pull out invasive plants: Nonnative, invasive plants out-compete native vegetation. Some pervasive examples include giant hogweed and Japanese hops. For a full list of Pennsylvania’s invasive plants, go to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website: https://tinyurl.com/ y3knlzf5
It may feel as if the scale of the pollinator die-off makes it an insurmountable problem. But as Christina Grozinger, director of the Center for Pollinator Research at Penn State, said, “People can, on a very local scale, do positive things to address this decline.”