It’s a small gesture, but it can make a big difference for the tiny bees and the human race alike.
A David Attenborough fan page on Facebook has revealed a pearl of wisdom on how to apparently save the entire human race – and it starts with saving bees.
Put simply, without bees humanity would die out – as soon as within four years, according to the naturalist. This is because the buzzing insects play a huge part in our ecosystem as one of our key pollinators, and are responsible for the production of one-third of all the food we eat.
Attenborough explained, bees running low on energy are often mistaken for dead, when in fact they just need a bit of rehydration and energy. He wrote:
“This time of year bees can often look like they are dying or dead, however, they’re far from it. Bees can become tired and they simply don’t have enough energy to return to the hive which can often result in being swept away.
“If you find a tired bee in your home, a simple solution of sugar and water will help revive an exhausted bee.“
“Simply mix two tablespoons of white, granulated sugar with one tablespoon of water, and place on a spoon for the bee to reach. You can also help by sharing this post to raise awareness.“
With this, Bee lovers around the world have been sharing photos of the world’s pollinators drinking sugar water from spoons after a post on a Facebook page dedicated to the legendary broadcaster David Attenborough asked fans to work together to save the world’s bees with an extremely simple gesture: offer up a spoonful of sugar.
According to ABC News, the suggestion checks out. The best thing people can do is to keep flowering plants in their gardens and avoid pesticides, says the publication. If you choose the sweeter route, bee careful with the type of sugar you use. Specifically, white sugar (sucrose) should be used to supplement honey shortages in the hive and to prevent starvation of colonies, according to the Department of Primary Industries.
Feeding bees has been touted as a way to help prevent starvation in already fragile honey bee populations.
“In the last five years the bee population has dropped by one-third. If bees were to disappear from the face of the earth, humans would have just four years left to live,” it said.
Preventing further declines in bee populations is crucial to protecting global food sources. One in every three bites of food around the world depends on bees who pollinate around 80 percent of the Earth’s flowering plants. In the US alone, the buzzers pollinate as much as 75 percent of fruits, nuts, and veggies.
So, pull up your Mary Poppins pants and go grab a spoonful of sugar to help the bee’s medicine go down.
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