Every year there are 136 million pounds of pesticides used on North American gardens and lawns. Surprisingly, homeowners are reported to use about three times the amount of pesticides as farmers. In fact, the majority of wildlife poisoning and water contamination is not from farms or other large organizations — it’s from single-family homes.
We’ve long known that bees are in trouble. But now, scientists may have uncovered a surprising new culprit behind their decline: air pollution is damaging their gut health.
Researchers at the University of Leicester have found that black carbon—a type of particulate pollution produced by fossil fuels—disrupts the delicate microbial community inside bumble bees’ guts. Just like humans, bees rely on a healthy gut microbiome for immune function, digestion, and overall vitality. And when that balance is thrown off? It can weaken their entire system.
At the heart of this study is a beneficial gut bacterium called Snodgrassella alvi, which forms protective biofilms in the bee’s intestines—think of it like a good bacterial “plaque” that guards their gut lining. But when exposed to black carbon, this bacteria’s behavior and structure changed. In lab tests, the biofilm formation was weakened. In live bees, gut samples showed significant declines in the abundance of these beneficial microbes after pollution exposure.
This discovery adds a new layer to the already long list of stressors facing bee populations—alongside habitat loss, pesticides, and disease. According to lead author Dr. Hannah Sampson, this new data highlights air pollution as “an underexplored risk” that could be quietly destroying pollinator health by disrupting their internal microbial balance.
Why does this matter? Because bees aren’t just honey-makers—they’re essential for pollinating crops and maintaining biodiversity. Their survival directly impacts food security and ecosystem health.
As Professor Julie Morrissey points out, this research doesn’t just apply to bees. If air pollution is disrupting microbial health in insects, it raises big questions about how it’s affecting us, too.
What we pump into the air doesn’t stay there. It may be damaging the smallest creatures in the biggest ways.
The best gardeners in the world have learned from their mistakes, but there’s no reason to repeat them. Learn from the mistakes of others if you’re just getting started in gardening. You can avoid a lot of problems, save time, and prevent the sad death of plants by learning some common and easy-to-make gardening errors before you make them.
Polly put the kettle on…but not for tea. Boiled water is an excellent asset in your garden and around your landscape. Did you know that when you use commercial pesticides and herbicides, you expose yourself, your family, and your pets to dangerous and even deadly chemicals? Why not go a safer route with something you drink every day – water? Let’s take a closer look at how to use plain ol’ hot water to end weeds and ants for good.
Yes, I get it; pests can be a problem. In just a few hours, pests gone wild can destroy your beautiful cabbage crop, annihilate your cucumbers, and leave your lettuce looking like it went through a war. All of this is heartbreaking, and I have had it happen to me more than once. There is a solution to this problem, and it is not to pour a vat of toxic chemicals into your garden either. Once I got the formula down – the best method to repel nasty pests – my garden has never been so beautiful. If I can do it, so can you.
In the early pioneering days of America, most people grew their own food, learning how to cultivate and grow it, not for fun but because a home garden was necessary for survival. In the 17th century, those settlers farmed their own fruits and vegetables, often using small, enclosed gardens that sat just outside their front door. Typically these gardens were focused on essential edibles, culinary and medicinal herbs. While food gardening has waxed and waned since then, it will never stop.
While all fresh produce has great value, especially when you grow it yourself, spinach is a crop that you don’t want to forget about. Not only is it easy to grow from seed, but it is loaded with nutrients and highly versatile in cooking. In fact, if you were to plant only one seed during the present crisis, spinach would be the winner!
Anyone who has been an avid gardener for some time knows that there are a few things you just need to get right to have a fruitful relationship with plants. Once you get the basics down and know what not to do in your garden, sit back and watch your plants amaze you with their beauty and fruitfulness.
Pesticides are a bitter pill. Without them, our lawns and gardens could quickly become overrun by pests. When we use them, they pollute the soil and water and even the air we breathe.
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