The benefits of bee products like honey, royal jelly, and propolis are well-established. Many of us have soothingly stirred a spoonful of honey into herbal tea to ease a cough, boosted energy with royal jelly during fatigue, or incorporated them into skincare routines to combat aging—as featured in this month's Belle au Naturel Organic Box.
Less widely known is the looming scarcity of these treasures. Of the 865 bee species native to France, all face serious threats. Since the late 1990s, beekeepers worldwide have observed alarming colony collapses.
Bees and other pollinators are vital to ecosystems; they support pollination for one-third of our food supply. A world without bees would devastate global agriculture.
ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) and the Ministry of Ecology have identified key mortality factors: chemical exposure and food resource loss.
Insecticides pose the gravest direct threat, especially in intensive farming. These chemicals cause physiological harm—slower development, malformations—and disrupt foraging: impaired navigation, nest/flower recognition, and spatial orientation. Neurotoxins like herbicides alter feeding, behavior, and immunity.
Monocultures reduce biodiversity, shortening flowering periods and floral diversity, starving bees of pollen and nectar. Landscape changes, declining fodder crops (clover, alfalfa), and herbicides exacerbate this.
To avert planetary crisis, promote ecological farming to eliminate synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Restore natural habitats around fields to bolster wild biodiversity.
Plant pollen- and nectar-rich species (meadowsweet, daisy, wallflower, nepeta, fennel, marjoram, lavender, thyme). Add wood piles, create wildlife gardens, and install insect nesting boxes.
This growing awareness has inspired novices to adopt beehives. The innovative Flow Hive simplifies beekeeping, yielding 10-40kg of honey per hive annually while aiding bee populations.
Government responses include the National Action Plan for sustainable beekeeping and a forthcoming plan for wild pollinators by the Ministry of Ecology.
Solutions exist—everyone can contribute to environmental stewardship. Saving bees secures our planet's future: yours, mine, ours.
Often overlooked, bees need water for hydration during their daily flights. Simple garden measures suffice: place shallow containers or tubs with fresh water as insect drinking stations.
Avoid deep vessels to prevent drowning. Bees frequent bird baths too. Refresh water regularly for hygiene, ideally near hives where it's used to dilute honey for larvae and cool the colony.
Exposed hives risk predation and weather damage. Erect fences for protection. Shelter from excessive rain and heat while ensuring sunny spots—direct sun scorch harms larvae, rain can wet wings or leak honey. Build dedicated hive shelters.
Take care,
Aurelie
