Welcome!

10/11/2014

WELCOME TO BEE SAFE ALEXANDRIA!

If you're here, I hope that means you're considering being part of the new Bee Safe Neighborhood in Alexandria West! (Hopefully we can get most of BSVCA to join in!)

First of all, what's a Bee Safe Neighborhood?
The campaign was started in Colorado, and the official info is here:
http://livingsystemsinst.org/content/bee-safe-neighborhoods

From the website:
A bee safe neighborhood is a contiguous group of 75 (or more!) houses that has made a pledge to commit to one or two of the following three steps:

1. Use no neonicotinoid or systemic poisons, active ingredient (AI): Acetamiprid, Clothianidin, Dinotefuran, Imidacloprid, Thiacloprid, Thiamethoxam and Sulfoxaflor. Products do not indicate they have neonicotinoid content. The active ingredient is usually shown on the front of the product. Avoid products with “systemic” on the package.
2. Use no chemical poisons at all.
3. If NO poisons are being used, the neighbor can be asked if he or she will plant seeds, plants, shrubs and trees in the yard and/or garden that will attract pollinators in the spring, summer and fall.

Their main focus is on honeybees. I, myself, do not have any bee hives, but I am concerned about our honeybees and other native bees- bumble bees, sweat bees (the beautiful green metallic bees you only notice if you look carefully), mason bees, etc. Native bees are solitary (solitary bees do not have large nests and are docile and do not sting) and are excellent pollinators- in some cases even more efficient than the honeybee.

Certain pesticides that are available for sale to consumers for use in our gardens or lawns contain dangerous amounts of systemic pesticides known as "Neonicotinoids" or "Neonics" for short. Systemic means that the plant absorbs the chemical and it exists in the plant's leaves, pollen, nectar- all of the plant parts. Once they're applied to a plant- often through a soil drench, or as a spray- they persist in the plant and don't have to be reapplied every year.  Neonics are a relatively new class of pesticides that have been proven to weaken a bee's immune system. When a bee- or any other pollinator, such as a butterfly or hummingbird- visits a flower, they ingest the pesticide as well as the pollen or nectar.

In the solitary bee world, a female bee gathers a pollen supply to leave in a cavity, and she will lay an egg on top of it. As soon as the baby bee emerges, it has a food supply of pollen to eat. When the pollen contains poison, it will effect the bee right from birth.

Why do we need Bee Safe Neighborhoods?
Many of us plant beautiful blooming flowers in our gardens that attract bees. If we're attracting bees only to poison them with chemicals (which is almost like handing out poison candy on Halloween!), soon the native bees will be in a serious decline, as they honeybees have been. Native bees are already declining in some areas, but they aren't studied and managed as much as honeybees, so we don't have a good picture of what's going on with them.

To a small native bee, your yard is a great place for food and shelter! Bees don't have to go far to find food, and native bees don't go as far as honeybees. (Honey bees will travel up to 5 miles to forage on flowers!)

You may be planting flowers to attract bees, but if your neighbor has used chemicals in their yard, your bees will be exposed to them. The more houses we can get together to create a safe haven for the bees, the better! More bees will mean more pollination- your flowers will set more seeds (which will attract songbirds), your vegetable plants will have better pollination and produce more food, and you'll attract more beneficial insects as well, which will eliminate your need for most insecticides.

Another great reason for us to give up on harmful chemicals in our yards is to keep surface water from the storm drains and washing directly into Holmes Run Park. Living near a natural water source means we need to accept more responsibility and make an effort to keep the habitat healthy. A congested area and a big city makes for a lot of pollution, so even if a small group of us can make this effort, it can make a difference!

But what do I use instead of my preferred pesticide?
Luckily the end of gardening season is almost over, so you can start 2015 fresh and natural without any chemicals! If you monitor your plants on a regular basis, you can nip any insect problems in the bud before any insecticide becomes necessary.
But if things still get out of control, don't panic! There are other ways to cope with pests.

Planet Natural is a great place to start, as well as GrowSafeGrowSmart.org.

If you have questions or concerns, I'd like to address them and would love the opportunity to help you find a natural solution to your problems. Please email me at pollinatorplates@gmail.com any time.

Thanks for your interest and I look forward to hearing from you, getting to know you and your yard, and finding a sense of community together to improve habitat for all of our local wildlife.

Cheers,
Samantha