What do almonds, blueberries
and coffee have in common?

Each of these foods needs honey bees to produce.

In fact, pollinators, such as honey bees, play a vital role in our food chain, pollinating the trees and plants that produce 30 percent of the foods we enjoy, including strawberries, apples, cucumbers, and avocados. Put another way, one out of every three bites of food Americans consume comes from a plant pollinated by bees or other pollinators.

Unfortunately, many pollinators are under assault. Loss of habitat and the introduction of harmful bee parasites have caused significant declines in many honey bee populations.

Scientists believe some of the decline is due to environmental factors such as the use of pesticides and herbicides that the bees ingest and bring back to the hive. The good news is that there are some simple steps each of us can take to help.