Bees are a keystone species. They play a vital role in preserving biodiversity and ecosystem health and without them, many ecosystems would be altered or cease to exist altogether.
There are over 20,000 species of bees that exist globally and Australia is home to around 2,000 species of native bees. These bees have co-evolved with our unique native flora over thousands of years.
Without bees, our ecosystems are at risk. That’s why biodiversity needs bee security.
Bees are so important to our livelihood as they help to pollinate most of the crops we eat and many that feed farm livestock. In fact, nearly two-thirds of Australia’s agricultural production benefits from bee pollination.
But bee populations are under threat. Destruction of their natural habitat, intensive farming practices, and pests and diseases are just some of the complex reasons driving a decline in both the number and diversity of bees.
Our bees are under threat
Bees and other pollinators are under threat worldwide for a number of reasons, including:
- Bee diseases and pests
Bees are susceptible to a number of diseases. With global movements and the intensification of farming practices, the prevalence of a number of bee diseases are increasing. Australia is, for now, the only continent that remains free from the Varroa destructor mite responsible for spreading viruses and contributing to large scale honey bee colony losses globally.
- Habitat destruction and access
A loss of access to nesting sites, nectar and pollen resources impacts native bee populations. It also makes it impossible for commercial beekeepers to maintain a viable business and by extension, to sustain enough healthy and strong hives for pollination services. Habitat destruction results from clear fell logging practices, and from urban encroachment. Beekeeper access to public lands is also impacted by government policies and varies widely from state to state.
- The use of agricultural chemicals
Products like insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and fertilisers can all be highly toxic to bees, but many of these are commonly used in agriculture and horticulture impacting bee health and numbers.
- A decline in commercial beekeeping
Commercial beekeeper numbers are decreasing in Australia and across the world for a number of reasons, including reduced access to resources, low honey prices with increasing production costs, an under-appreciation of the value of pollination services, and the impact of serious bee diseases.
Why we chose Bees!!
Honey bees are the most widespread managed pollinators having co-evolved with our food production systems.
For such small creatures, bees, when working together create such a huge impact on this planet, similarly to humans, when working together as a collective consciousness, can do amazing things.
When Love Loop was still in conception stage, Emma really wanted to lend her hand to a project that could create sustainable change for the humans on the planet now, and of course for the generations to come.
Humans are at the forefront of bee decline, so we as humans need to turn the tides and become the leaders of conservation and education to support these little guys.
Did you know that in Australia alone, the QLD bushfires of 2019/20 decimated over 300,000 hectares of land, and reduced the bee population by 90%. This along with the ongoing drought issues, are having a detrimental effect on our bee population.
To stand by our word to make a change, we have aligned ourselves with 2 national bee crusaders in @savethebeesaustralia and @adoptabeehiveaus. When you choose to align yourself with us, and purchase one of our offerings, you will receive a certificate of adoption for one of 5 native Australian bee species:
- Blue Banded Bee
- Sugar Bag Bee
- Teddy Bear Bee
- Leaf Cutter Bee
- Cuckoo Bee
If you haven't checked out pics of these little guys, make sure you do, and let us know in the comments which bee you think is the cutest..... we think the teddy bear bee is by far the cutest.
Also when you invest in our Liefde Package, we will actually adopt a whole bee hive full of bees on your behalf.*
You will also see 3 bees in our logo, representing our 3 founding members: Emma, Kayla and Niki.