You'll BEE Seeing More About This Topic!

Maybe some of you remember that I posted a new photo of a bee on Facebook each week last summer? I've been doing a lot of reading and studying this past year to try to understand what's going on with bees.
, and about Colony Collapse Disorder. I'm going to repeat my bee pictures this summer, and with each one, I'm going to post a little myth-busting info. For example, did you know there are over 500 species of native bees in Illinois? Some of them colonize, but some live alone. Some nest in twigs, branches, or trees, some nest underground. While chemical pesticides, fungicides, and miticides are a threat to them, an even greater threat is their loss of habitat. As more and more land is turned into pristine yards, their nesting sites are disappearing. Planting flowers that attract pollinators is a first step that many people are interested in doing. But a big part of attracting native pollinators is being willing to leave at least parts of your property in a natural state (preferred), or looking at adding some of the "bee houses" to your yard.