General Mills fell short on effort to save the bees

The bees are dying.

For the first time ever, bees were added to the U.S. endangered species list in 2016. While this may come as a shock to many because bees sometimes seem over-abundant, bee populations have been decreasing for a number of years.

Because bees are an essential part of the ecosystem, the problem is more grave than one might think.

Bees make honey, and General Mills’ Honey Nut Cheerios need honey. Earlier this month, Cheerios launched a #BringBackTheBees campaign. Their goal was to appeal to their consumers who love their cereal by warning them what might happen if bees were to go extinct.

They decided to give out free wildflowers to the first 100,000 people who signed up on their website in order to attract bees and increase their population. Partnered with the Xerces Society, a conservation nonprofit that researches pollinators, the campaign seemed to be on the right path to raise awareness about decreasing bee populations, and to help combat their extinction. They also donated a large sum to the Xerces Society to help their efforts.

Unfortunately, recently General Mills has found its campaign in a negative light. Some of the wildflower species included in General Mills’ complimentary seed packages are either invasive species or non-native to many regions in the U.S.

Native plant experts have said that certain species included in the package could become harmful or detrimental weeds and didn’t have any specific qualities that attract bees
or butterflies.

For example, their package includes California poppies. These are fine in California, but can be aggressive growers in other parts of the country.

This means that instead of aimlessly planting their seeds, consumers should opt for different tactics to help elevate the bee population that’s specific to their region.

The good news is that there are plenty of different ways to actually help the endangered bees that anyone can do in their own communities. While General Mills’ plan didn’t go exactly as hoped, it is helping to spread awareness.

As Kayri Havens, the senior director of ecology and conservation at the Chicago Botanic Garden explains, General Mills’ intent was good, but, “…if you want to do something for pollinators for the long-term, it’s better to plant some species that are native to your region and perennial.”

In every community, there are many ways to help the bee population increase. Things as easy as avoiding the usage of pesticides, and buying honey or other bee products from local beekeepers, can help the population thrive.