Nearly one-third of America’s honeybees have vanished in the last two years-mysteriously abandoning their hives, never to return. Are you aware that every third bite of food of food we eat has been pollinated by an industrious honeybee?

Burt Shavitz, co-founder of Burt’s Bees, says “The bees’ survival depends on how we manage and protect our world.” Experts hypothesize that the likely culprits are pesticides, dwindling food supply and a new virus that appears to target the bees’ immune system. The bee die-off, known as colony collapse disorder , continues to alarm and puzzle scientists and beekeepers who fear the honeybee may be a modern-day canary in a coal mine.

Here’s what you can do to help the bees in your own backyard:

1. Replace some of your lawn with flower beds.

2. Plant native plant species which are well-suited for local bee populations.

3. Check out some honeybee resources at www.pollinator.org. You can get a free Pollinator Garden Wheel and a poster depicting North American Bee species.

4. Reduce or eliminate pesticides and insecticides in the garden whenever possible. Visit www.organicgardening.com for eco-friendly alternatives.

5. Choose plants that flower at various stages in the growing season to provide a consistent source of food for pollinators. For a free packet of bee-friendly flower seeds, visit www.burtsbees.com

Get Vanilla Honey Bee, a new Haagen-Dazs flavor launched in conjunction with www.helpthehoneybees.com, Haagen-Dazs’s campaign to raise consumer awareness about bees.

Remember, honeybees don’t just supply honey, the are vital in sustaining our food sources. Be a honey and help the bees!

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