Dear Recycle Lady,
I enjoyed reading your information about honeybees last week, so now I want to add a shout-out for wild bees! When we talk about beekeeping, we’re primarily talking about European yellow and black striped honeybees that live in a hive and produce honey. Although they are indeed vital to our food production and have suffered from Colony Collapse Disorder in past years, by and large these colonies are doing ok, according to https://worldbeeproject.org/2025/12/07/.
On the other hand, our wild bees, pollinators, and insects are declining and much of our natural environment and foods within the ecosystem are pollinated by these wild bees, also referred to as native bees. There are 4,000 species of native bees in the U.S and 15 species of native bees in West Virginia. Bumblebees, mining bees, carpenter bees, mason bees, leaf-cutter bees, long-horned bees, large and small carpenter bees, squash bees, and sweat bees all are native to West Virginia. These bees do not live in a hive or produce honey and they mostly live underground. They are most active in late spring through early fall and most of these bees are non-aggressive and will not sting you. Some of them live in colonies, others live in solitude; some produce honey and some don’t, but whether they are honeybees, native bees, or wild bees, they are all are good for your garden as they are all great pollinators.
Save the Pollinators
Dear Save the Pollinators,
Thanks for a most informative description of wild bees. It seems that protective ideas apply to all bees whether they are European bees or wild bees. More protection is needed for West Virginia’s honeybee population as it declined an estimated 40% from 2024 to 25, according to https://wvpress.org. This decline was due to a variety of factors including harsh winters and an invasive species of mite. A statewide beekeeping rights bill, the Bee Bill, passed in the 2026 WV Senate to provide extra protection for West Virginia bees and the beekeepers. Protecting and improving the bees’ natural habitats is vital. One effective and attractive way to increase pollinator populations is to plant a small area of your garden with native plants and flowers and avoid the use of pesticides. “Rewilding” parts of your lawn allows small plants such as violets, clover, buttercups and dandelions to play host to a wide variety of pollinators. The No Mow May movement also suggests mowing your lawn less to support pollinators, reduce water use, and create a healthier yard.
Dear Recycle Lady,
I have undertaken to organize all the photographs I have collected over the past years, and I have lots of duplicates. Can photographs be recycled?
Organizer
Dear Organizer,
According to conserve-energy-future.com, photographs can’t be recycled as they contain silver, mercury, and selenium, all of which are considered hazardous waste. These chemicals are used to make the photo paper that images are printed on. Photo paper also has coatings and protectors, which contain plastics and metals. Perhaps you could make a collage with the photos and send it to family members. Be sure to identify everyone in the photograph and include dates, if possible. Readers, do you have any ideas for Organizer? If so, I am happy to print them. I am sure many of you have duplicate photographs in drawers and need to do something with them.
Interesting News: Denmark designers have created the first mass-produced door made from an underground root-like mushrooms sprout. The mycelium is grown inside a door-shaped mold and framed with scrap wood that would usually be thrown away. It takes two weeks to grow one door. That’s more sustainable than cutting down trees to build one. The design is currently being tested. Its designers said it’s as safe and strong as a standard doorand has natural soundproofing properties. (The Week Junior)
Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests Recyclelady7@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.
