Rodale Wellness
by Julia Westbrook
Residents of Oslo make the city a safer place for the bees.
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For a bee going on a summer road trip, the world can be a dangerous place—from pesticide-laden fields to urban areas without a rest stop in sight. That’s why Oslo, the capital of Norway, is creating a bee highway, a safe way for bees to get across the city.
The bee highway is lined with food and shelter stations maintained by the government, companies, organizations, and individuals to facilitate bees’ safe travel.
Agnes Lyche Melvaer, head of Bybi, the environmental group that is leading the project, said “We are constantly reshaping our environment to meet our needs, forgetting that other species also live in it.”
The bee highway is being tracked on the Norwegian website Pollinatorpassajen.no (to see the map, click on “Fly videre,” Norwegian for “fly further.”). Zooming into the map, locations are marked for features like dining, visitors, overnight accommodations, request for a shelter, and attraction—all for bees. (It’s like a travel guide for bees!)
“Pollinatorpassajen is a call to city people, professionals, municipalities and agencies, organizations and the business community to contribute in a collaborative effort to form a booming corridor across the city,” says the bee highway website (translated).
Some tips for creating a bee-friendly environment near you include:
• Plant native species of flowers.
• Mow your lawn less to allow lawn flowers to bloom.
• Create a bee hotel using wooden frames divided into several “rooms,” filled with twigs, sticks, and other natural materials. Covering the outside with mesh prevents birds from stealing this “furniture.”
• Some bees prefer to rest in hot soil or sandy nests, so consider leaving a little bit of earth in your yard bare, mixed with a little sand.
Not sure what to plant? Bees love these plants.
