BarryTheBee

The Adventures of the Traveling Steemit Bumblebee

Promoting Pollinators

When I was contacted by Barry's mom, @kiaraantonoviche, asking if I would be interested in hosting him I was so excited! I knew from her first post about Barry that we were going to be good friends! https://steemit.com/homesteading/@kiaraantonoviche/barrythebee-the-adventures-of-the-traveling-steemit-bumblebee-promoting-pollinators

When he finally arrived on our homestead I was so thrilled! I decided to let Barry take over my vlog for the day on my youtube channel. He did a great job!

The Importance of Winter Nectar Sources

One of the biggest concerns Barry and I discussed when he got here was how to feed a bee in the middle of winter...
You see, in certain parts of the world the bees don't sleep all winter long. In some places, like Georgia where our homestead is, the temperatures can easily go into the 70's on a nice winter day. Those temperatures cause bees and other pollinators to fly about trying to get as much nectar as possible before it gets cold again.

Barry was very lucky to find some winter weeds with flowers to nibble on! I sure was glad we hadn't weeded the vegetable garden because the few flowers out there were buzzing with activity from other pollinators as well!

We also discovered the benefits of allowing some of your fall and winter vegetables to stay in the garden unharvested so they will bloom. And if it is an heirloom plant you can let the flowers fade and go to seed. Allow seed to dry on plant and then harvest for next years spring crop.

Barry was pleasantly surprised to find some friends like him on our homestead! Although the big red poinsettia attracted insects (watch video for the surprise guest appearance that flew in to check out these red flowers!) they are not typically great nectar sources but made for a great prop for our video! Some of Barry's cousins and their beneficial friends had a nice visit.

Resting on a nice lush green moss is always fun. Did you know bees and other insects will get the moisture they need from moss just like this? It was a great day on the homestead!

So remember! Leave the weeds! Leave the veggies to bloom! Provide a moisture source! The Bees need it!

A note from Kiara: Hey guys! Barry the Traveling Steemit Bumblebee is an idea I had for promoting the importance of pollinators while connecting us all in a very tangible way! If you’d like to be a part of his journey, there are a few requirements… so this is how the project works!

1. I will privately contact a Steemit homesteader and ask if I may send them Barry. If they accept and DM me their address, I’ll ship him to their home!
2. Once you receive Barry, take him on a tour of your homestead and snap some photos! Don’t forget a verification photo with your username and the date (like the one above)!
3. Post an article with the photos and tag it #BarrytheBee! This way we can all follow along with his travels!
4. Privately contact another homesteader that you’d like to send Barry to and verify you have permission! Ship him to the next address!
5. Follow along with his journey!

Please keep all discussion(s) between you (the sender) and the next person (the receiver) private. This will only work if we all work together! Barry is a small glass figurine so he should be packaged appropriately. Privately provide tracking information to the receiving party if possible.I really would like to get him back in a year if possible. This figurine was a gift from my aunt and she’d probably get a kick out of seeing his journey! I’ll be following along so he (hopefully) doesn’t get lost!

Thank you for reading and watching Wholesome Roots!

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