Helping Save the Bees

Bees are in trouble. As the population of bees decreases, experts are concerned that the fruits and vegetables that bees help pollinate will also decrease. Lynn Brunelle, award-winning writer for Bill Nye the Science Guy and author of Turn This Book Into a Beehive and 19 Other Experiments and Activities That Explore the Amazing World of Bees, talks about the importance of inviting both honeybees and wild bees into our backyards.While honeybees have been domesticated for years, Brunelle also calls attention to wild bees, which are solitary and make up 98% of the bee population. Her book, on top of informing others about bees and the need to help them survive, doubles as an environmental tool. By using the dust cover and the pages in the book to create tube homes for wild Mason bees, readers can help save the bee population at the same time.Brunelle also addresses the misconception that all bees sting. While honeybees have to protect both their queen and honey, solitary wild bees don’t sting, because they do not produce honey and don’t need to protect a queen. By providing wild bees with a home, flowers, and some mud, readers can participate in the movement to revive the population of bees and help make a difference to the vegetation of their communities.