The name of this holiday is just too funny to overlook. I feel like people would be much more likely to swat or spray a bee rather than step on them, but I think I get their point. Bees are good! Don’t kill them! They are also our North Carolina state insect, so you’ll probably go to jail for killing one. I’m not completely sure on that one, but its still not worth the risk!
Here is an excerpt on the holiday and how you can help the bees from Animal Planet:
Today is national “Don’t Step On a Bee Day” and we want to take a moment to honor our friend, the BEE.
Bees have been disappearing on a frighteningly large scale around the world, a phenomenon that has been dubbed “Colony Collapse Disorder” and we are at a tipping point, according to many researchers. Since World War II, circa 1945, bee populations have declined from 4.5 million to 2 million, as of 2007.
So, why should we care? Aside from bees being awesome, we should care because more than 1/3 of the world’s crops depend on bee pollination. As bees have been dying over the last 50 years, we’ve increasingly needed them more and more — worldwide crop production dependent on bee pollination has increased by 300%.
How can we help? Dr. Spivak offers two simple ways we can help bees:
* Plant bee-friendly flowers.
* Don’t contaminate them with pesticides.Easy, right? We need to nourish a diversity of bee-friendly, flowering plants year-round — at home, in public spaces, roadsides and farmlands. However, some garden plants may be harmful to bees, depending on where you purchased them — so be sure you vet your source.
Now go save the bees! Or, at least buy some Honey Nut Cheerios! Every little bit helps!