World Bee Day on May 20 is a chance to appreciate some of the hardest-working and most fascinating animals on Earth. Bees pollinate flowering plants, support biodiversity, and help make many of the foods we enjoy possible. But beyond their ecological importance, bees are individuals with lives of their own.
A honey bee colony is a superorganism, with each individual playing a vital role in its survival. These tiny beings communicate by dance, recognize faces, care for their young, defend their homes, and work cooperatively in ways humans do not fully understand. Every bee is someone, not something.
The encouraging news is that everyone can help these precious pollinators. Planting native flowers that bloom from spring through fall gives bees a steady food source. Letting part of your yard grow naturally, leaving fallen leaves in place, and preserving patches of bare soil or hollow stems can provide critical nesting habitat for native bees. Avoiding pesticides can also reduce harm to pollinators and the environments they depend on.
World Bee Day can also inspire us to rethink our relationship with bees. Honey is food bees carefully make for themselves and their young. Leaving it to them and choosing delicious vegan sweeteners such as maple syrup or agave instead is one sweet way to show respect for these remarkable animals.
Protecting bees begins with seeing them as fellow living beings sharing the world alongside us.
Melissa Rae Sanger, LVT
The PETA Foundation
