The people of Kansas City, Missouri should start seeing a few more honey bees buzzing around after the help of a few volunteers.
Bayer CropScience, Bridging the Gap and Kansas City Missouri Parks and Recreation have come together to plant a pollinator-friendly garden at Lakeside Nature Center in Swope Park.
With the help of volunteers, the landscaping was turned into a 70×30-foot area with blooming trees, plants and flowers designed specifically for honey bees.
More than 20 volunteers helped in the planting process, and local bee keepers provided bees for an observation hive at the garden.
Preserving bee health is becoming a high priority for many companies. Research shows bees may be dying from a variety of issues including, introduced pests and parasites, microbial diseases, inadequate diet, bee management practices, climate change and loss of genetic diversity.
According to Bayer, more than $15 billion crops in the United States are annually pollinated by honey bees.
The Bayer Bee Care Program includes several initiatives including:
The North American Bee Care Center, which broke ground in May at the North American Bayer CropScience Headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, will aid the advancement of honey bee research by providing a facility to support worldwide bee health initiatives.
Bee Ambassador Program, a field staff training campaign dedicated to cultivating dialogue and awareness around topics related to honey bee management and health.
The Bee Care Tour, a mobile exhibit which traveled to Midwestern university agriculture schools this past spring to foster education and collaboration among growers, beekeepers, researchers and others interested in honey bee health.
Product Stewardship, in which honey bee scientists at Bayer’s Bee Care Centers collaborate with growers and industry partners to develop educational tools to help producers select the appropriate seed treatment products and ensure they are used in the most efficient and responsible manner.