Friends of the Earth Malta have a campaign to help save local pollinators, including the Maltese honey bee. Basically for only €50 you can help sponsor a bee hive. Wouldn’t this make a great Valentine’s present!
So what is all this fuss about bees and pollinators? The reality is that bees are essential, as they pollinate most of our fruit and vegetables. Bees are the most important pollinators, yet with them there are butterflies, moths, flies, wasps and beetles.
The Maltese honey bee is actually a sub-species of the honeybee Apis Mellifera Ruttneri and it is endemic to the Maltese islands. This means that it is found specifically in the Maltese islands. Unfortunately there has been a decline in the wild populations of the Maltese honey bees, due to the unsustainable agricultural practices, uncontrolled development in ODZ land and also because of climate change. Locally we have a selection of bees, but the most common would be the honey bee (Apis mellifera), the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and the violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violaceae).
What do you get when sponsoring a hive
- BeeCause kit
- Jar of honey from our apiary
- Updates from the hives
- Invitation to an annual event
The jar of honey will be available come April/May 2018, as bees don’t have the luxury of going to the shop to buy their honey.
What else can you do?
You can further help bees by planting flowering plants which are rich in nectar in your garden. These could be herbs like marjoram, sage, thyme or borage. Bushy aromatic plants like rosemary and lavender. Ornamental flowers like sunflowers, echinacea and verbena. Also making a water source will be very helpful, not only for the bees, but also for other animals visiting your garden like birds.
If you don’t have a garden don’t worry. Why don’t you start growing your own herbs (and flowers) at home and leave them on the balcony, windowsill or terrace.
You can find all the information on the Bee Cause on Friends of the Earth Malta’s website. This year give your valentine and ethical gift … sponsor a hive!
