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ducating residents, strong design, and help from your landscape maintenance company will create a relaxing community space that supports bee habitat. Have you ever driven through California’s Central

Valley in the summertime, where miles and miles of almond groves flash past your window as you zoom up Interstate 5? Almonds require bees to pollinate them, and growers hire millions of “professional” bees every year. Bees – both wild and professional – pollinate approximately 1/3 of the food we eat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bees directly or indirectly pollinate $15 billion in American crops each year.

Bee-ing that a third of our food is at stake (c’mon, you knew I had to use a bee pun somewhere), it makes sense that folks are so worried about declining bee populations. Homeowners associations can “adopt” their neighboring bees by providing food and water in a bee-friendly garden, but generating funds for this type of enhancement requires community support and education. Informing your residents can open dialogue about the value of bee gardens.

Beekeepers have identified a strange decrease in the populations of bee colonies, a statistic known as dwindling. Colony populations dwindle on average 5–10% per year, but since 2006 colony sizes have decreased 25-50% per year. At times, these bees disappear without a trace, leaving the lonely queen behind with only her eggs and immature larvae for company. Tis phenomenon has been named colony collapse disorder (CCD) and is the newsworthy mystery of the bee world.

A combination of fewer queens, lower birth rates, and workers getting lost in the field could explain the sad CCD story. Scientists believe that one of the major factors contributing to CCD is the increased use of neonicotinoides, a new type of pesticide introduced in 2005. Queen death increased 25% when exposed to these pesticides, according to a 2015 study. Te study also reported lower reproductive rates, resulting in fewer worker bees being born. Te study notes other research showing these pesticides impair worker bee flight behavior, making it impossible for them to find their way back to the hive.

Another factor contributing to bee population decline is the loss of natural bee habitat. Ground nesting bee habitats have been impacted by development of housing in rural areas, as well as by recreational use from foot traffic and off-road vehicles. Tere is also more distance between biodiverse native areas supporting wildflowers, meaning bees need to travel farther and farther from their hives to find food. Providing gardens of bee habitat inside our communities can reduce local bee’s “commute” to food sources. Entomologist James H. Cane says bee gardens even as small as half an acre (100’ x 218’, or a football field from the 45 yard line to the goal line) can help increase the local hive population.

Educating your residents about bees doesn’t have to be boring. Geeky and fun educational resources like the popular YouTube channel SciShow offer entertaining videos about the value of bees to the environment. Plus, you’re giving your residents some interesting topics of conversation for dinner parties.

Once residents understand the value of providing a bee habitat in their community, designing a strong bee garden can be a great opportunity to enhance and beautify your community. Imagine relaxing in a garden washed in warm sunshine, the soft scent of soil and mulch, flowers in every color blooming from every direction, and the soft hum of bees as they buzz from flower to flower, drinking in sweet nectar, legs yellowed from brushing against soft pollen. Both bees and people win in spaces like this!

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