Did you know that bees are the only insects that produce food eaten by humans? In fact, bees pollinate crops that are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat. These are just some of the reasons we should be alarmed that the world’s bee population is rapidly declining.
Pesticide use, shrinking habitat, air pollution, and global warming are just some of the factors affecting bees. So what can you do? One quick, simple way to help is to increase the amount of wild habitat available for these winged insects. Several charity organizations will send out free packets of wildflower seeds in order to provide more pollen and nectar for bees.
Also stepping up to the plate is Cheerios, with their #BringBacktheBees campaign. With their friendly mascot Buzz and association with honey, the cereal giant has pledged to send 100 million free seeds. Not only that, they are looking to increase bee habitat on their oat farms, with a goal to host 3,300 acres of wildflowers by 2020.
In conjunction with partner Veseys, Cheerios has already reached its goal, but it’s continuing to mail out packets of free seeds. Getting yours is as easy as filling in this form. Don’t live in the United States? Residents of Canada and the UK can also receive free packets from local organizations.
UPDATE: Cheerios has surpassed their initial goal of 100 millions seeds and actually given out 1.5 billion seeds.
Watch this video to learn more about why we need to save bees.
h/t: [reddit]