Bayer marks successes of 2015 Feed a Bee initiative

Bayer recently celebrated the results of its 2015 Feed a Bee initiative, which saw approximately 250,000 consumers and more than 70 organizations come together to provide more food for bees in the form of 65 million flowers.

"When we talk to the public, the most common question we hear is, ‘What can I do to help bees?’” North American Bee Care Program Manager Dr. Becky Langer said. “Providing pollinators with abundant, diverse food sources is one of the most important things we can all do to promote bee health. We created Feed a Bee to make it easy for people to be involved, and we are delighted with the overwhelming response.”

While the agriculture industry is more dependent upon bees than ever, the insects are becoming more and more susceptible to diseases and mites, like the Varroa mite. Through Feed a Bee, Bayer is working to provide diverse food sources for the pollinators, which studies suggest promotes the resilience of bee populations.

“We’ve seen some great news in pollinator health in the past year from increasing population numbers to heightened involvement from consumers and other stakeholders,” Bayer Crop Science Division President and CEO Jim Blome said. “We still have much work to do to ensure the future health of our honey bee colonies, but we hope the foundation we have from Feed a Bee will continue to bring more partners to the table.”