By Rachel Gossen

The plight of honey bees is a front and center issue in the green world. Honey bees are responsible for a third of the nation’s crops, and the numbers of colonies is quickly dwindling, but there’s a way for the average person to help make a difference for bees.

To help protect honey bees, Wyman’s of Maine, the largest U.S. owned blueberry grower and processor, is urging consumers to plant and grow wildflowers, as it is one of the easiest and most effective ways to create pollinator habitats. Wyman’s is distributing millions of wildflower seeds to anyone who wants to do their part in saving the dwindling honey bee population. Wyman’s has been a long time supporter of native pollinators and a leader in the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) research. CCD is the mysterious disappearance of worker bees from their colonies, leading nearly one-third of all honey bee colonies in the U.S. to collapse. Without bees pollinating, Wyman’s and other farmers will not be able to grow crops.

You can request free seeds from Wyman’s simply by visiting www.nobeesnoberries.com and signing up. Wyman’s will also randomly select one lucky gardener to win a one-year supply of Wyman’s of Maine product. As part of the giveaway, Wyman’s is asking consumers to post photos of their new wildflower gardens on their social channels and hashtag #nobeesnoberries.

“The honey bee population isn’t essential just to the wild blueberries that we grow, but to countless crops worldwide,” said Wyman’s of Maine CEO Ed Flanagan. “Fortunately, this is something that anyone can do their part to help by creating their own pollinator habitat, and we’re happy to help people do just that.”