The word, "progress" is one of Walt Disney's favorite words. He used it often and believed in the power and positive impact it will bring. He dreamt of a utopian city that would make the Jetson's seem obsolete! And although he never saw it happen, many of his dreams paved the way for other dreamers to make reality of their own visions, which have enhanced our lives today in more ways than we can name. That's called progress.
However, not all progress has been good.
Many creations in the name of science have hurt our world more than helped. One such creation, and perhaps the biggest contributor to the bee population demise, is pesticides.
Go take a look outside your window right now. See that brilliant, green grass growing in your yard? all the blades trimmed so elegantly to the same height and not a dandelion or sliver of crab grass in sight. Ah yes, the perfect yard. It's become an American obsession to have a pristine yard. Heck, my ex husband was obsessed with all his chemicals and lawn tools! He'd even will get down on his belly to trim a wispy out-of-place blade of grass and I always thought this was such nonsense...after all, there is so many other more rewarding things to do on a Saturday afternoon.
Turns out, I was right. But you can't tell him that.
Now not every chemical used is harmful to bees, but a great deal are. Here is a list of the chemicals to NOT spray on your yard if you want to save the bees:
- Orthene
- Sevin
- Diazinon
- Bayer Systemic
- Ambush
- Crossfire
- Insecticides
- Diesel Fuel
So next time you're at the store and looking to buy a spray to improve the look of your lawn, make sure the one you choose doesn't contain any of the above.
Three Things You Can Do to Help Save the Bees
Number one, don't use any of the above chemicals. But I think we already established that.
Number two, plant flowers! 
- Daisies
- marigolds
- zinnias
- asters
- Black Eye Susan's
- cone flower
- peonies
- lavender
- sunflowers
There's more than the list above that are loved by the bees, but this is a good start. These bloom at different times, giving our buzzing friends plenty of pollen to harvest for months and months!
TIP: Do your best to plant native species of flowers and plants
Number three, start backyard beekeeping! What is more fun and rewarding than harvesting your own honey? And if you have littles, it's a great learning experience for them, too.