Day 147 Of Coronavirus Shutdown

 I've noticed an increase in bees in my area this year and wondered why that is?  All types of bees. The really tiny ones we use to call sweat bees. The regular bumble bees. Honey bees. And even a couple different types of wasps, hornets etc. I have also found a great number of hornet nests around my area. So needless to say I started to ask why?!

Well, what I found was actually pretty interesting. And that's what I wanted to share with you all today.

We talked in a post toward the begging of this pandemic about how ever since people have been confined to their homes, wildlife has seen less human disturbances such as traffic and polluting fumes. In Israel, wild boar are venturing further into the cities than ever before, and dolphins are increasingly braving the Turkish narrows that normally serves as a busy shipping route. So although Coronavirus hasn't been good for humans, it has been doing good things for nature and our planet from a climate standpoint.

Scientists say that one animal that could see a much needed revival from humans being shut in is the wild bee. Bee populations have been declining around the world due to habitat loss, pollution and the use of pesticides, among other factors for a long time now. This is also going back to a past blog post where I talked about leaving your dandelions in your yard as they are great for harmless bees.

According to a BBC post - "A world without bees would look very different and change our lives enormously. Bees are the world’s most important pollinators, fertilizing a third of the food we eat and 80% of flowering plants."

"Less fumes from cars on the road makes it easier for bees to forage, as air pollution substantially reduces the strength and longevity of floral scents, according to a 2016 study. Pollutants break down scent molecules emitted by plants, making it harder for bees to detect food. This means they often end up flying further to find food and bring it back to their nests."

"In a world with less air pollution, bees can make shorter and more profitable ‘shopping trips’, and this may help them rear more young," says Mark Brown, professor of evolutionary ecology at Royal Holloway, University of London.

I took this picture just this morning around 7:30am. A perfect example of bees living the good life during this pandemic. My yard is full of wild flowers and some not wild. I leave my dandelions year around for the little bees. This bee is clearly enjoying the morning as you can see her completely coated in pollen lol. These are the little nuggets of good news we have to pick out during these tough times. I say "Little Nuggets" but they're not really. This is truly a big deal. It truly is fantastic news for nature, bees, our climate, and the world as a whole. This pandemic has been a real light showing the damage that humans do to this planet. 

Lets not forget and lets keep making progress.

Please WEAR. A. MASK! And continue to Practice Social Distancing!

Thank you!