Kings encourage communities to Bee The Change

This September is Bee Aware Month, an initiative created to educate the public about the declining insect that pollinates more than 80% of the world’s plants.

So what is the buzz about this year? The focus for Bee Aware Month 2018 is on bee health and community outreach. Auckland’s Kings Plant Barn has launched a campaign called ‘Bee the Change’ which does just this.

“With the worlds bee population in decline, this has a potentially devastating effect on our ecosystem and our veggie, fruit, and flowering plants that rely on pollination.”

“As a local community garden center, we are dedicated to the long-term sustainability of our natural environment and see it as our responsibility to educate the public on how to care for bees,” says Chris Hall, General Manager of Kings Plant Barn.

The campaign involves free events, educational talks by beekeepers, resources in store advising what to plant to provide food for bees year round, and a collaboration with For The Love Of Bees, a community outreach group that educates the public on how to create safe spaces for bees and other pollinators. Kings will also be working with For The Love Of Bees on a bee-friendly regenerative garden at Auckland’s Eden Park in the coming months.

Free talks by experienced beekeepers will help educate the public on when and what to plant. Steve Leslie a local beekeeper explains how important the public’s garden practices are to help local bee production.

“A single half-kilo jar of honey require visits to 2 million flowers to make such a remarkable and tasty product. The honey bee faces many challenges due to the loss of diverse environments and the at times less than judicious use of pesticides.”

“Thankfully we, as gardeners, can help. One of the easiest ways to help bees is by planting bee-friendly flowers all year around, not just in Spring. More flowers mean more bees, and that means more fruit, more vegetables and a richer environment.”

Kings have been phasing out harmful pesticides that contain neonicotinoids after research linked them with declining bee numbers.

“We have stayed informed on all the local and global research on harmful pesticides and made the decision to discontinue any products that contain neonicotinoids in a move to encourage more natural alternatives to pest control and a focus on growing strong pest-resistant plants.”

The company’s role extends further than just Bee Aware Month to activities during the year and collaborations with Buzztech, a technology company which tracks the health of bees.

How to Help Bees

Plant a wide range of bee-friendly plants that flower throughout the seasons to help provide bees and other pollinators with food all year around.

Start learning how to grow pest-resistant plants.

Use natural pesticides and spray in the evening as this minimises the harm to bees and other beneficial insects.

While bees don’t drink, they do collect water for the hive. Fill a shallow dish and add marbles or stones for the bees to perch on. Once bees find a good source of water, they will return regularly—a win for both of you.

Bee The Change Events

Free Bee Talks
Learn from an experienced beekeeper how the honeybees can help your garden (and how they can help you).

Wednesday 5th September
Henderson 10am
Silverdale 2pm

Wednesday 12th September
St Lukes 10am
Remuera 2pm

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