Freeways or even bee hotels. Faced with the threat of extinction of the species, initiatives for their protection are flourishing all over Europe.
One out of ten bee species would be endangered. This is the conclusion of a recent study by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which once again sounds the alarm. Because a large part of our food depends on the survival of bees. According to Greenpeace, 75% of the world’s food production depends on the pollination work carried out by these insects.
Initiatives to ensure their survival are flourishing everywhere.
In the Netherlands, a campaign to create refuges for bees was launched in 2018. More than 70 initiatives have thus been launched throughout the country. Like in Amsterdam, where “bee hotels” have been installed to serve as a refuge. With the cessation of the use of pesticides in the city’s gardens and the replacement of grass with flowering plants in public spaces, bees have indeed returned in numbers to the Dutch capital.
In Utrecht, 316 bus stop roofs have been covered with wild plants to attract them and allow them to feed.
The inhabitants of Oslo, Norway, are participating in an operation initiated by the Bybi association. The idea is to install “bee highways” on balconies and on the roofs of companies in the city. By sprinkling them with melliferous flowers that beekeepers love, they have created a sort of pathway that improves their living conditions.
These vegetation stops which, seen from the sky, really look like highways, have been emulated as far as France. In the last few months, the number of beehives has multiplied, especially along certain highways, but also in urban areas. There are already more than 1000 in Paris alone.
