Thoughts of a Granola Girlie . . . 

It is not secret, our environment is impacted by our yearly global pollution. We as a society have an understanding of it but we do little to organize in order to make a real impact. We as individuals can do what we can but only when we come together as a group can we make a large impact on our carbon footprint and overall pollutants. This year in particular, our environmental impact has gotten too out of hand to ignore. I can only personally speak for myself and my experience here in Colorado.

We practically had no winter, barely any snow fall. For Colorado, a US State known for its snowy fourteeners, ski and snowboarding resorts, and gorgeous mountain views. This is unusual. Typical winters here have heavy snowfall, black ice freezing over the roads, degrees going down to the single digits, and such heavy snowpacks they either shut down the schools or have multiple two hour delays. The mountain peaks in Colorado and much of the midwest should be blanketed with white snow, but that sadly its't our reality. In fact, this past winter was reported to be the warmest winter Colorado had experienced since the 1930s, since the dust bowl. Making the situation not only unusual but deeply concerning.

But you are probably wondering, what does that have to do with bees?

The lack of water effects everything. But what you might not know is bees are not the first pollinators of the season. That title goes to the flies. Yes the nasty, gross flies that attempt to land on your food when picnicking in the park. The flies that land on cow patties on a ranch, those flies are the first pollinators of the season. They can endure tempuratures ten degrees lower than bees. That is why they are out before the bees and prepare many plants for the bees to collect pollen during the warmer months. Everything has a purpose in nature, even the flies.

Due to the lack of moisture in our environment, every living thing has to adapt to the ongoing change. From flora to fauna. This shortage in waters impacts our pollinators, which then impacts the plants they are meant to be pollinating. Which in turn impacts the animals those plants are meant to nourish, further impacting the predators who feed off of the vegetation eating prey.

Disrupting the fragile balance of nature.

We as humans, are impacted just as much. How? Our food production and quality.

The lack of water threatens essential plant resources and affects the bees ability of hydrate and nest. The pollen and nectar's volume and nutritional quality are affected by drought. A plant experiencing water stress will not produce much protein in the pollen and will have nectar with lower sugar concentration. These two important factors will limit the carbs and protein necessary for the survival and development of the hive. As a beekeeper, the survival and growth of a hive are key for harvesting honey because the base box in a bee hive, stores the brood and the queen bee. The brood are all of the baby bees waiting to hatch out of their pupae stage and join the rest of their worker bee sisters. This box needs to be prioritized in order to ensure the survival of the hive throughout the winter or an infestation. Once the bees are thriving, have plenty of honey for themselves and their own survival, that is when a honey super is added to the top of the hive. In addition to the honey super, a queen excluder is also needed in order for the queen to not lay eggs in the honeycomb meant to be harvested. A queen excluder is a specialized metal or plastic grid placed between the brood box and the honey supers. Once the honey supers are installed the bees wander up into the extra frames to fill the comb with honey. These are the frames that hold the potential honey harvested for human consumption. Normally honey is harvested twice a year from a single bee hive, but of course there are exceptions.

The lack of water also decreases the amount and size of flowers being grown. This factor can also affect how long a flower stays open, reducing the time frame in which pollinators gather food. Drought also disrupts the photosynthesis of plants, impacting the plants ability to produce vibrant colors and their signature scents. Making it harder for the pollinators to locate the flowers.

If there is a lack of water, there will be a lack of pollen and nectar production. Impacting the amount of honey produced, decreasing the overall bee population. Beekeepers would have to compensate by condensing the size of their bee hives; impacting honey harvest and their sales. This brings up the question, how do we help? For starters, we can plant more flowers. Flowers planted in clusters, creating a 'target' for the pollinators to better find. Planting flowers that bloom continuously from spring to fall is another great way to aid the pollinators. It is best and most effective to plant plants native to your local area or at the very least, non-invasive plants.

Another way to improve your plants is to know the quality and acidity of your soil. This will affect how the plant absorbs nutritents and the rate at which they grow. Many beekeepers strongly encourage practicing Integrated Pest Management (IPM), an environmentally sensitive, science based approached to pest control. Combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools providing a lower risk to people, property and the environment.

This week (June 15 through June 21, 2026) is National Pollinator Week. Some of the best ways to get involved is by purchasing honey from your local beekeepers, educate others about the importance of our pollinators, and get informed yourself.

I went down the beekeeper rabbit hole this past year and even though I have yet to purchase my first two hives (which I intend on doing this coming Spring 2027), I am still wanting to further my beekeeping knowledge. Not everyone is suited to have a bee hive, it should be done after extensive research and consideration. Not to mention, the land you would need for the hive(s) to sit on. Beekeeping should only be done after careful consideration. Besides owning your own bee hive, pollinator rock gardens are also a great way to support the bees. These specialized rock gardens are meant to blend nature stones with drought tolerant and nectar rich plants to attract bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Providing basking spots, water sources and micro habitats to native insects and amphibians in your local area.

No matter which way you participate in saving the bees, the important thing is to participate. Even in the small ways.

Sources:

Pollinator Partnership

Non-profit 501(c)3 Organization

https://www.pollinator.org/threats

Nature Hills, Landscape and Garden Design

Pollinator Rock Garden

https://naturehills.com/blogs/garden-blog/when-life-gives-you-rocks-create-a-rock-garden

National Library of Medicine

Author(s) - Wilson Rankin, Barney, Lozano

Editor - Johanna Brunet

 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7583269/