Help the bees
There are several ways you can contribute to the well-being of bees. We’ve made a list of things you can do to help them.
Of course, you can always help us to help the bees.
General Actions for Bee Conservation:
1. Plant native plants & flowers
Bees need a diverse and continuous offering of different types of pollen. We’ve found that in early spring, late autumn and between mid-July and early September there is too little healthy pollen and nectar available for bees in the Netherlands.
Help us fix that by planting native plants and flowers.
To get started, we recommend that you check out these two sites:
And – we often give away seeds at festivals and events that we attend, so come and find us!
2. Help us ban pesticides and eat organic
Pesticides kill bees. There are many sustainable, organic, permaculture-driven, and natural ways that we can grow our food and gardens so that we don’t harm the bees. For instance, there are certain flowers that attract insects that eat the pests.
We are saddened by the amount of industrial pesticides that we see in use today throughout the Netherlands and around the world, and we bet you are too. Help us take action and sign these petitions:
If you’re especially upset that many of the same people who grow our food are killing off our pollinators, we encourage you to contact your (local) representatives and ask them what they’re doing about it.
3. Eat organic honey
Many conventional beekeepers directly harm or kill bees in the production of honey. We’re horrified at the thought that so many bees are robbed of all of their honey and given sugar water as a poor, insulting replacement.
When you do eat honey, we encourage you to eat organic honey, or honey that comes from a biodynamic beekeeper so that only excess honey is skimmed.
We also encourage you to limit your honey intake if you aren’t sure how it was produced, or only use honey’s medicinal properties to help heal wounds or infections. When you do enjoy honey, always eat it raw/cold so the health properties of the honey are kept.
At certain points in the year we do sell an extremely limited amount of jars of what we would humbly say is the best honey that the Netherlands has to offer. Send us an email – info[at]wellbeeing.org – and please include the quantity that you’d like to order and an offer on price.
Help the bees through our Foundation
1. Become a natural beekeeper
All of our colonies are supported and cared for by our incredible Contribute to a more vital bee population in the future by caring for bees.
We organise natural beekeeping introduction courses, join us!
2. Build or sponsor a bee hotel
Strangely enough, in dense cities with modern architecture it’s increasingly difficult for solitary bees to find homes. Solitary bees do not live in a beehive but in cavities in trees, reeds, fallen logs and pieces of wood, beaches, walls, in the ground, etc.
Therefore, we recommend that you build or sponsor a bee hotel for these bees so that they may have more nesting spaces.
Given that bees are our thing – we have to inform you that a bee hotel is only suitable for about 30% of the different solitary bee species. The other 70% mainly live in the ground. However, a bee hotel is a great start – as a potential habitat for that 30%, as a conversation starter, or as an educational tool for kids.
3. Join Our Volunteer Team:
Join our vibrant volunteer team and experience the buzz of being part of a dynamic and welcoming environment! Dive into hands-on activities, educational programs, and advocacy efforts while immersing yourself in the fascinating world of bees and pollinators. It’s not just volunteering; it’s joining a supportive community where you can learn, grow, and make a real impact.
Contact us at info[at]wellbeeing.org to be part of our friendly hive!
4. Adopt a Bee Colony:
Support our natural beekeeping and preservation efforts by adopting a bee colony. Your contribution directly assists in the care and maintenance of our bee colonies, enabling us to continue our vital work in bee conservation.
That’s our list! Of course, there are even more things that you can do to help the bees. If you’re looking for even more recommendations besides this list, we encourage you to visit us at The Beepalace or send us an email.