How to Help Bees in Your Backyard and Beyond

How to help bees in your backyard and beyond! These simple ways to save the bees are things that every family can do.

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When you think of bees, you might just think of honey or even a sting. But bees are so much more than that. They are the planet's best pollinators and are responsible for nearly 90% of the food we eat.

But the bees are in trouble. Bumblebees are on the endangered species list. We rely on bees to survive, and now the bees need our help.

This month, our Family Dinner Book Club is focused on learning more about bees and how to help bees. There are a few easy things that your family can do to help save the bees in your community and I'm here to show you how.

Family Dinner Book Club: Kids Making a Difference

Saving the bees is critical to making the world a better place for our kids, and our Family Dinner Book Club is committed to helping your family do just that. This year, we are focusing on books to inspire kids to make a difference and this month we are all about bees.

Family Dinner Book Club is a way for families to connect over a common theme. My co-hosts and I provide everything you need! Jodie from Growing Book by Book gives you a themed book list, Sarah from Chef Sarah Elizabeth provides a themed menu, and I give you activities to try as a family.

This month, our featured book is UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian.

This is a wonderful collection of poems and illustrations to help kids learn more about the life of bees and also the challenges they currently face. It's the perfect way to start the conversation on how to help bees with your kids.

How to Help Bees

There are a lot of things that your family can do to help bees in your own backyard and in your community. Choose one of these ideas or try them all!

• Plant bee friendly flowers. Choose a section of your yard or garden for bee friendly flowers. This is a perfect family project for spring.

• Set up a bee house. Bee houses are places for bees to raise their babies, and can also provide protection for solitary bees. If you're handy, you can build your own bee house or you can purchase one that is already made here.

• Make a bee bath. Bees need water, and a bee bath is a super easy project to help make sure they have fresh water when they need it. You can find simple instructions for building a bee bath here.

• Buy local and organic. Pesticides are one of the main issues affecting bees, so by supporting organic farmers we can help bees too! Buying local honey also supports beekeepers who care for bees in your community.

• Educate your neighbors. Help spread the word about protecting bees in your neighborhood and beyond! Encourage your community to be bee-friendly by sharing these easy tips with them as well.

For more ideas on how to help bees visit the National Wildlife Federation and the Honeybee Conservancy.

Complete Your Family Dinner Book Club Experience

Head over to Growing Book by Book for a list of children's books about bees, then to Sarah at Chef Sarah Elizabeth for a delicious bee themed menu.

Be sure to share your Family Dinner Book club photos with us on Facebook! We love to see them.

How is your family planning to help the bees? Leave a comment below and let me know.