Hey you. Do you like apples? Strawberries? Avocados? Coffee? Almonds? Tomatoes? Peas? Vanilla? Well then you should probably care more about bees. I’m currently writing this while drinking my usual- coffee with almond milk. If bees were to go extinct, I wouldn’t be able to drink this anymore.

Currently, bees are dying at a rate of 30% per year. This rapid decline is caused by a number of factors -- loss of biodiversity, industrial agriculture, lack of forage available, various parasites, and bee-killing pesticides.

If bees were to completely die out, we would loose 70 of the 100 crops that feed 90% of the world’s population. Humans would probably last about four years without bees. So, it’s fair to say that it’s pretty important that we do our best to help save bees. Here are ten things that you can do to help:

1. Plant a “bee garden” of bee-friendly flowers and plants.

Here’s a list of 25 plants bees will appreciate you having in your garden.

2. Set up a bee waterer in your garden.

Bees need to drink water too, but need to be able to drink without getting their wings wet. You can buy one online, or make one yourself. Bonus: butterflies will stop by for a drink too!

3. Teach kids (and yourself) not to freak out after seeing a bee.

A bee won’t go after you unless you make a commotion, so if you notice a bee flying near you, just leave it alone. As long as you’re not standing right by or harming the hive, the bee should leave you alone.

4. Leave the clovers and dandelions alone!

They’re an important source of food for bees, and they also make delicious honey from clovers.

5. Buy honey from a local beekeeper.

Their bees probably forage for pollen from flowers raised without chemical pesticides, and you’ll be supporting a local business as well.

6. Buy organic groceries from a local farmer.

As well as local honey, local fruits and veggies are also raised without harmful chemical pesticides. When bees forage for food among plants that have been treated with chemical pesticides, the pollen they take back to the hive is contaminated, and can kill them.

7. Don’t saturate your garden with chemical pesticides.

Make sure that your neighborhood bees have a safe garden to get their food from!

8. Set up a bee condo in your yard for solitary bees, bees that get caught out in the rain, or bees that are looking for a new place to nest.

Like the bee waterer, you can buy one online or make one yourself. Remember that after setting up the condo, you should leave it alone and not bother the bees that are nesting inside.

9. Join or donate to organizations dedicated to saving bees.

Most organizations just have a minimum donation between $1-$5, and can provide you with tips, tricks, and tools to help you save bees.

10. Start up a hive of your own.

While this will definitely take hard work, and you’ll need to be prepared to care for your new bees, you’ll give a colony a good home, and can even start harvesting your own honey. Here’s a list on everything you’ll need to do to prepare for your own hive.