Give Bees A Chance

Why "Bee" Concerned?

Since the initial detection of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in 2006, honey bee keepers have been losing roughly 30% of their hives annually. Although CCD is not fully understood, it appears to be a destructive synergism of multiple drivers of collapse. These include but are not limited to pesticides, parasitic mites, and
increased viral levels.

What Are We Doing?

In 2014, Paul Stamets (leading mycologist, visionary and TED Talk presenter), Steve Sheppard (chair of department of entomology, Washington State University) and the Washington State Beekeepers Association teamed up in a research initiative called BeeFriendly™ to help reverse devastating declines in the global bee population that are critically threatening the world’s food security.

In 2015, experiments began where honey bees drank different mushroom mycelium extracts. Some extracts reduced viruses in bees by 75% or more, greatly increasing colony survival!

Where Are We Today?

As a result of our Give Bees a Chance program, Host Defense has directly contributed over $150,000 to fund bee research, specifically studying how mushroom mycelium extracts can help bees overcome CCD. In addition to cash contributions, we have also donated countless research hours and materials (liquid extracts) to the research efforts.

In total, awareness efforts stemming from Paul Stamets, Fungi Perfecti, and the Host Defense supplement line have cumulatively resulted in nearly $5 million in funding for the Honey Bee & Pollinator Division at Washington State University.

7 Ways You Can Help Bees

  1. Choose Wisely- Buy smart with products like Host Defense® that are bee friendly, organic, and give back to important research causes

  2. Snack Smart- Eat local, organic food that’s good for you and the environment

  3. Avoid Chemicals- Use green products in your lawn or yard and be mindful of ingredients you utilize outdoors

  4. Get Earthy- Plant native wildflowers and flowering herbs to create prime spots for bees to gather pollen

  5. Bee Hospitable- Create a mushroom-friendly biosphere in your yard to encourage healthy soil and biodiversity. Let wood rot- or chip wood debris- do not remove it

  6. Give Back- Donate directly to organizations like Washington State University’s Honey Bee Lab or to your local Bee Research Foundation.

  7. Listen & Learn- Find out more about bees and share this valuable information with your network

***FOR EVERY HOST DEFENSE SUPPLEMENT PURCHASED AT LOVE WHOLEFOODS THIS MONTH, A PORTION OF THE MONEY WILL GO TO SUPPORT THE BEEFRIENDLY INITIATIVE TO OVERCOME COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER.

Peggy Van Cleef