Keep Bees Buzzing-The Rusty Patched Bumblebee!
Rainbow Brands is very much about inspiring our growing community of “busy bees” to lead healthy lifestyles from the products we sell and the collaborations we enjoy in order to alleviate the stress around us.
Our mission at Rainbow Brands is also to increase awareness of the importance of bees to our environment. By keeping bees buzzing we are more likely to lead a richer and healthier lifestyle.
Bees and flowering plants have a mutually dependent relationship, they both need each other. The bees' food is provided entirely by the plants they visit. Plants provide bees with nectar and pollen. Nectar is a food source rich in energy, and pollen is a source of protein. Honey bees turn the nectar into honey and store the pollen in the cells of the honeycomb. Storing food allows honey bees to survive in times of scarcity and across a wide range of habitats and climatic conditions, making the honey bee one of the earth's most adaptable species.
While honey bees and other insects are visiting flowers to feed, they spread pollen from one plant to another (pollination). This enables flowers to be fertilised and for seeds and fruit to form. We therefore benefit greatly from the natural relationship between bees and plants.
Cross-pollination helps at least 30 percent of the world's crops and 90 percent of our wild plants to thrive. Without bees to spread seeds, many plants including food crops would die off.
Unfortunately the bee population around the world is in decline. Early this year the rusty patched bumblebee is the first bumblebee to be designated as an endangered species in the United States.
There are various steps and measures that can be taken to address this problem with new findings continually being released. We shall keep you informed and gratefully receive any updates from those of you who are closely involved in this field.
Keep buzzing!
Selchouk Sami
Founder