SEX

     Well, that certainly got your attention.    

      Let's talk about sex.  That sounds like a fun topic.  Don't worry, I won't go all "50 shades" on you.  I could, but since my children believe they were hatched, I'll try to keep it clean.

     This isn't about hot steamy sex like what we see in the movies.  People need to understand that stuff is scripted, your hair never looks that good afterward.  No, this is about a different kind of sex, no, not kinky sex........ garden sex.

     What is garden sex?  Something new and fascinating?  Something you do outdoors?  Well, sorta.

     This particular kind of sex has been going on for millions of years, right in front of our eyes, with no censorship.  Most of us don't even realize it's happening, but without it, we wouldn't be here.

     The garden sex I'm blogging about is most commonly referred to as pollination, stuff bees do.

     There is a strict rule in my backyard when the flowers are in bloom; DO NOT KILL THE BEES.

     Bees, honey bees, may be one of the most important species on the planet.  Their job, besides making honey, is to gather pollen. When they do this and buzz from flower to flower, they transfer pollen from plant to plant.  When this happens, a dusty little version of sex takes place and allows that plant to reproduce itself.  Most of us know this.

     What most people may not know is the fact that the honey bee population is in a dramatic decline.  Big deal?......HUGE deal.

     In a recent insert to one of our county papers, was an article titled, "Is this the demise of the Honeybee?"  The following is taken directly from the article:  "Bees help pollinate more than 90 commercially grown field crops, citrus and other fruit crops, vegetables and nut crops.  Without these insects crop yields  would decrease dramatically and some foods may cease to exist.  Without bees, food production would diminish and the prices of produce would skyrocket."

     The article went on to say that beekeepers in the USA have reported deaths of tens of thousands of honeybee colonies, that is not individual bees, that's hundreds, maybe thousands, of bees per colony.  It isn't just happening here, the Netherlands and the UK have even seen some species become extinct.

     I asked a local beekeeper last fall what he thought was the reason for the decline and he told me he thought the biggest culprit was us, humans.  He said a bee doesn't know the difference between a flower on a "good" plant or a flower on a weed.  When the bees take pollen from a weed flower, one that has been sprayed with pesticides or insecticides, it takes those chemicals back to the hive.  

     The article backed up this mans thoughts.  Dead bees that were examined were found to have more than 100 chemical residues in their system.

     This is serious.  There is enough turmoil on this rock we call home without having to worry about running out of food.  No bees, no apples.  No bees, no peaches.  No bees, no peas.  No bees, I hope you are getting the picture, the bigger picture.

     So what can we do?  As individuals, we can plant lots of blooming flowers in our yards, or flower pots or wherever we can find a bit of space.  We can pass the message along and remind others not to kill the bees.  Maybe we could even write a little note to some of the big chemical companies and explain to them that if it's not good for the bees, it's probably not good for us either.  

     Get out there and peruse the garden centers or the seed catalogs.  Plant some flowers.  Not only will you be helping out the bee situation, you will enjoy the pretty colors and your yard, flower pot, window box, whatever you choose, will have more sex than you could ever stand.  Plus, it won't muss up your hair.