Bee-autiful Bees!

I want to take the opportunity to show off one of the gorgeous products on my store, Book Geek Chic, and to give you a bit of the story behind it.

I love bees.

Ever since I was little I’ve always been fascinated by the constant busyness, the fuzzy little funny bodies and the way they fly so curiously. You may have noticed in The Arrival that I have a scene with a funny bee that flies curiously. If you hadn’t guessed by now, the product I’m talking about on my store is the geometric bee pendant.

When I was little the kindergarten I attended was straight across the road from where my Nana lives. This meant after kindy each day I would go across the road to Nana’s house and spend time with her until my parents picked me up. This was a fantastic combination for me. At that time my Nana was breeding her pet fox terrier, so there were lots of tubby little foxy puppies out in her backyard to play with every day. When I wasn’t playing with the puppies, I was following the fat grouchy bumblebees around the backyard. I was extremely entertained by the way they could get grouchy if you pinned them in a flower then letting them fly off in ever enlarging (grouchy) loops . This probably then shouldn’t be surprising that the only thing I’ve ever been stung by is a bumblebee, and given I have actually run over wasp nests before (and into them) yet not been stung by one: it’s fairly impressive. When I saw the bee pendant at the supplier’s store I couldn’t resist putting it on my store.

Did you know bees are dying in greater numbers every year?

Did you know that without bees life as we know it will cease to exist? Bees are the great pollinators of the world. Without bees we won’t have our vegetables, fruits, or plants in general as almost every plant needs bees in some way to provide pollination. There are multiple reasons as to why bees are dying off. From the simple reasons such as climate change, to the more nasty reasons such as mass use of insecticides. If you would like to be able to help the bees in your area, here are some really easy ways to help out.

1. Bees need water. Have you ever noticed in summer that when you hang fresh washing out you’ll often find honeybees and bumblebees clinging to it? This is because they are drinking the water off it. Collecting pollen is hard work, especially in the ever increasing temperatures. An easy way to help bees is to put out a shallow dish of water. Keep it shallow so they don’t accidentally drown. Remember to refresh it every day.
2. Bees need nectar. A bumblebee on a full stomach can only fly and collect pollen for about 40 minutes. After which time it will start to burn out, and this is when you will often find them on the ground looking confused. If you find honeybee or a bumblebee in this state then the best way to help them as to very carefully pick them up (not with your hands, use a piece of card or a small plastic lid, you don’t want to be stung) and move them into the shade. Put a shallow dish of sweetened water (30% honey/sugar/jam mixed with 70% water) beside them. If you can put them on the edge of the dish that’s even better. It may take them about 20 minutes to recover, but you should find they have flown off not long after that.
3. Plant flowers. In general most cottage garden types of flowers are useful to bees. If you’ve ever fancied having a herb garden, now would be the time to plant it. Herbs like rosemary and lavender, and some mints are fantastic for bees. Plants that flower through summer and into autumn are also fantastic.

Below is a voucher for 50% off the bee pendant on my store. Take the opportunity to grab this beautiful necklace for yourself, or somebody else you know who loves bees. Just click the image to be taken directly to Book Geek Chic, with the discount automatically added – easy!

Check out this gorgeous photo I took near our cabin, I’ve always wanted to get a shot of a bumblebee on a scotch thistle and the contrast between the colouring was just as good as I would have hoped for.

Have a great week, and if you have a great pic send it to me! I’d love to see it.