Millions of Dying Bees
 

More than 500 million bees have died in Brazil in the last three months.

In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, 400 million dead bees were found - with beekeepers in four states reporting the mass deaths.

Researchers have blamed the use of pesticides - chemical substances which are used to kill pests.

Bees have a really important role in the food chain - with around one-third of the food we eat relying on pollination mainly by bees.

These include fruits and vegetables such as avocados, broccoli and cherries.

The main cause of death for these bees has been the use of pesticides containing products that are banned in Europe, such as neonicotinoids and fipronil.

The EU imposed an almost total ban on neonicotinoids last April because of the serious harm it could cause to bees.

But in the same year Brazil lifted restrictions on pesticides - despite opposition from environmentalists who called it the "poison package".

The use of pesticides in Brazil has increased, according to Greenpeace, with 193 products containing chemicals banned in the EU being registered in Brazil in the last three years.

The country uses pesticides because its economy is so reliant on agriculture

Things aren't looking good for bees around the world.

In the United States, beekeepers lost four in 10 of their honeybee colonies in the past year, making it the worst winter on record.

In Russia 20 regions reported mass bee deaths, with officials also warning it could mean 20% less honey being produced.

At least one million bees died in South Africa in November 2018, with fipronil being blamed.

And countries such as Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Turkey have all also reported mass die-offs of bees in the last 18 months.

The World Wildlife Foundation says unused land that was previously used for development should be managed to better safeguard bee populations.

It adds that with greater urbanisation happening, more urban green spaces should be developed to protect bees.

Some researchers say wildlife-friendly farming and gardening - such as creating patches of wild plants and weeds to encourage pollinating insects - can have a positive impact.

Your garden can help too as growing plants encourages bees to pollinate - and leaving the grass to grow longer also gives bees more shelter.

For tired bees, wildlife charity Buglife says people should put them onto flowers, where they may be able to find nectar which contains nutrients they need - but sugar water can be more controversial.

You can also create a bee bath - which is filling a small dish with water and stones - that will let bees land on the stone to drink water.

And many environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth say banning harmful pesticides is vital to stopping bees from dying.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-49406369

Every garden should have a Buddleja ( butterfly bush).
We have one for the butterflies, and the bees love it.
Takes no looking after really either, just cut it back a couple of times a year.

We had to get rid of the one in our garden because my dog was eating the bees, wasps, butterflies...etc

We had no idea until my mum noticed her drinking a lot more than normal and the vet said she had gum was inflamed, kept and eye on her and she was attacking the bush

Wow Brazil really is in the news recently isn't it! We need some positive news about Brazil... SO VOTE FOR BRAZIL IN THE TIBB SONG CONTEST!

Awww, our is in the front garden.
You really have to be careful, I would never have thought of the dog having an outdoor buffet from it.:hehe:

We've got one smudgie, Its lovely to see the butterflies etc round it ,although the cat also gets interested,lol, but yes its lovely to see the bees aswell

There's some sort of bush next to my front door that was constantly FULL of bees this summer. Hundreds of them. It was like the whole thing was vibrating when you walked past with all of the buzzing. Not sure what it is... It isn't the one mentioned on this thread... It has red berries on it?

My daughter hates it (scared of bees) and wants it chopped down but we're like "NO! We are friends to the bees..." [emoji23]

The Medusa Cascade?

...it could be a Pyracantha...(...I’m not a huge on plant names etc and gardening in general...)...but that’s quite a common shrub and I’m sure it’s a buzz for the bees...it has red/orange berries...