The Plight of the Bees
It is our mission as beekeepers to keep our planet healthy by doing what we can to protect the ever-important bees, as well as doing what we can to encourage others to join us in our fight to save them. Unfortunately, the bees are in jeopardy. With increasing wide-spread use of chemical-based insecticides, parasites and rampant malnutrition, bees are dying off at an alarming rate.Insecticides pose the most direct threat to the bees. After all, the very nature of these products is to kill insects. Not only are these harmful to the bees, but they are harmful for the environment as we know it.

The Balance-Keepers
It is believed that bees are responsible for pollinating one in every three bites of food we consume, meaning without bees and other pollinators, our food system, humanity and the world as we know it could be devastated. Many may not realize how much we vitally depend on these creatures.

Bees are involved in more than just the production of honey. They and other pollinators such as butterflies, wasps, flies and more, nourish the growth of many fruits and vegetables such as zucchini and apricots, almonds, oils such as canola and much more. The work these pollinators do is essential for the health of our bodies.

The Solution
Managing hives with sustainable and eco-friendly tactics is the best solution to saving our bees. We use practices to ensure there is food for today and tomorrow - these practices include maintaining healthy soil and water, keeping an abundance of flowers and flowering herbs, increasing biodiversity, and doing what we can to minimize the effects of climate change.

So how can you help save the bees?
If you want to help these important members of our ecosystem, consider implementing one of these ideas:

• Plant bee-friendly or pollinator-friendly flowers and flowering herbs in your garden or yard.
• Reduce or limit the use of chemicals and pesticides to treat your garden or lawn while plants are blooming.
• Put a shallow basin of fresh water with marbles or rocks in it for the bees to land on in your yard. After all, these hardworking bees are thirsty!
• Learn how to be a beekeeper while using sustainable, earth-protecting practices. If that sounds like a bit too much to handle, but you still want to reap the wonderful benefits raw honey can provide, consider purchasing honey from a local beekeeper you know implements these sustainable practices.
• Finally, donate to an organization that is dedicated to helping to protect bees and other pollinators.