Bees are critical pollinators, so anything you can do at home to help our bee population is a good thing. One of the easiest things is to plant prolific plants that produce a nice amount of pollen and nectar. Flowers are obviously a good choice, since they produce pollen more frequently, but so are trees and shrubs, because they produce very high quantities of both pollen and nectar. And remember: Avoid using chemical insecticides outside, where they can harm bees.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Did you know the average home wastes about 10,000 gallons of water a year due to running toilets and drippy faucets? One way to find out if you're wasting water is to turn off every faucet, shower, washing machine and anything else that uses water in your home. Note your water meter reading and come back a few hours later; if the meter reads the same, you're good to go. If it reads higher, somewhere in your home there's a leak that needs to be fixed.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If your water is supplied by municipal drinking water, you might want to consider getting a water filtration system for your kitchen faucet. Most municipalities use chlorine as a disinfectant to make sure the water is safe to use and drink. But chlorine is also bad to drink, since it can disrupt what’s known as “gut flora” in your stomach. To avoid bottled water, opt for kitchen faucet water filters that can safely remove chlorine and leave you with nothing but healthy H20 to stay hydrated with.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION