Scientists Make Suggestions To Restore Dwindling Bee Population

Scientists have developed a plan to better take care of Wisconsin’s pollinators.

Bees pollinate more than $50 million of crops in Wisconsin each year, but the state’s bee population has shrunk drastically in recent years.Wisconsin lost about 60 percent of its honey bee hives during the winter of 2014.

To recoup that loss, University of Wisconsin and government scientists have put together the Wisconsin Pollinator Protection Plan. The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is one of the groups that authored the plan.

Donna Gilson, with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, said people are contributing to the issue by the way they keep their property.

“The greener your lawn, the greener your golf course, the less food there is for pollinators,” she said.

The plan recommends gardeners grow a variety of native flowering plants. It also discourages the use of certain pesticides.

Gilson said while the plan won’t be enforced, it will be highly encouraged.

“Kind of like recycling,” she said. “It’s not regulated but it has an awful lot of public support.”

The current plan can be found online at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection website.