There are many charities trying to save the bees worldwide. These charities work to establish new beehives on farms, ranches and in community areas. Others focus their efforts on growing native wildflowers in key areas. We all share the same goal however - to ensure that bees and pollinators thrive in the wild for generations to come.
How will we at Queen Bee Sanctuary do this in Canada?
1. Education is key. We plan to create our own educational programs. These programs will focus on what individuals can do to increase wildlife habitats for bees and other pollinator and will be made available to schools, etc. for free.
2. Saving the bees, one hive at a time. We plan on creating healthy hives, which in time, will rear healthy Canadian bees and queens that other beekeepers can access. Especially those who have lost their bees. Our bees will be hardy and selected to survive our cold, Canadian winters. It takes at least 2 years for a new hive to become large enough to produce honey for a beekeeper. These bees will need to be fed twice a year, medicated for mites and other diseases and given Fumagilin to help them survive through the winter. These hives also need protection from animals. An animal, such as a skunk or bear, can do a lot of damage in a short time, so we use an electric fence around each yard, to keep them safe.
3. Seeds for bees. We intend to partner with organic seed companies which would provide a package of pollinator wildflower seeds to those which give a donation to our sanctuary. They would also supply the seeds for our education program and we will make them available to buy in our store.
4. Funding research. We intend to partner with research companies which strive to understand the complexity of pollinators and work to enhance the health and vitality of all bees. Research has shown that harmful commercial products are directly linked to Colony Collapse Disorder, which are killing our precious bees.
5. Queen Bee store. We have designed a wide range of products which will be sold on our online store. These products will directly contribute to our mission and vision for Queen Bee Sanctuary.
6. Lobbying. Eventually, we would like to get involved in lobbying local, provincial and federal governments to protect the bees habitat throughout Canada. and reduce the harmful spraying of crops, gardens and lawns.
7. Partnering. We would like to partner with other bee charities and associations to help with the global vision.
The threat to the world's bees is serious and there are already many bee species which are considered endangered and need our protection. 1 in 3 bites of food we eat is directly dependent on pollination. In the 1940's, there were around 5.7 million honey bee colonies in America alone. By 2015, those numbers had dropped to just 2.74 million. Honey bees are the only cultivated bees in the world but by planting wildflowers and providing a safe sanctuary for them, we also do the same for all other pollinators and those species which are dependent on those plants.
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