New Jersey’s Amazing Official Insect And How To Help It

Yes, New Jersey has an official insect, and the honey bee needs your help, and all the help it can get this spring from everyone.

Spring is a time when blooming begins and we all know that honey bees are critical for pollination.

Helping The Honey Bees In New Jersey

It turns out that our quest for a beautiful green lawn could be hurting our state insects more than we ever knew.

To have a green and gorgeous lawn, many homeowners use weed killers on their lawns to avoid getting the dreaded dandelions.

Here's what happens. The dandelions pop up before most flowers are in bloom, and are therefore a crucial source of nectar for the honey bees, according to Reconnect With Nature.

Double Dose Of Trouble For The Honey Bees

When you kill the dandelion, you are taking the food out of the mouths of the bees. And with their food sources so limited this time of year, that's a critical situation.

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Add to that the fact that the weed killer may kill the bee if it comes in contact with it, and you have a double dose of trouble for our state insect.

Here are some ways the experts say you can deal with dandelions and keep things safe for the bees.

Here's What You Can Do To Help The Honey Bees

Try not to use chemicals, but if you must, use products that are less toxic and apply in the evening since most bees eat in the sunny hours.

Here's another tip. if you let your grass grow tall enough before mowing, the shade will do the dandelions in since they thrive on sunlight.

These are little things, but they will go a long way to help our beloved honey bees.