🌱 lake ☆ flick is my boyfriend 🌱

I really hate to ruin a feel-good story like this but this is an example of how good intentions can be misguided. It’s not what I would call a “pollinator sanctuary” if it is consists of 30 hives of a non-native farm animal— the honeybee. Honeybees are wonderful, but they were introduced to the United States by humans who were farming them. Keeping honeybee hives does not protect the wild pollinators that are actually declining. It’s a bit like saying you’re conserving wolves by getting a pet dog, or conserving bison by buying a herd of dairy cows. Domestic Honeybees are new in this environment and managed artificially. They can even cause harm to wild bees by outcompeting them or spreading disease. Honeybees are not endangered. They are one of the most abundant animals on earth. Meanwhile, there are countless other pollinating insects such as flies, wasps, moths, and beetles, as well as ~4,000 of bee that are native to the US, and many of these are declining. The best way to help wild pollinators is by protecting their habitats, ensuring an availability of native flowering plants, and reducing or eliminating pesticide use. 🐝