Why Saving the Bees Is So Critical for Both People and Planet?

Why are Bees Endangered?

Pollution and Climate Change

There is proof that global warming is one of the primary factors contributing to the worldwide decrease in bee populations. Only a narrow range of temperatures allows certain wild bees and other pollinators to survive. As a result, they are compelled to migrate to colder regions in search of safety as the temperature rises, which limits the total area they may occupy and lowers population levels. This may have repercussions for the environment in the neighbourhood¹.

It’s also considered that bees are being harmed by air pollution. According to preliminary studies, air pollution affects fragrance molecules generated by plants, which bees rely on to find food. The bees’ ability to forage effectively is hampered by the conflicting signals, which also causes them to pollinate less efficiently².

Pathogens and Parasites

Parasites and “pathogens” that spread disease are cited by researchers as significant contributing factors to the worldwide drop in honeybee colonies. The “Varroa destructor” is the main parasite that is eliminating honeybee numbers. Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite, was first exclusively found in Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) colonies, but it quickly spread to Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies, which are the dominant species in current commercial pollination across the world³. The majority of honeybee colonies in the US are impacted by this fatal mite, which is the main factor behind the 45.5% loss rate in 2019. It attaches to the bees when they are still larvae and feeds on the growing larva, weakening the bee’s immune system and spreading illness⁴.

Habitat Loss and Pesticides Use

The loss of habitat appears to be the primary factor behind a decrease in bee populations as well as biodiversity in general. Because of genetic isolation and subsequent inbreeding or just the impossibility of tiny habitat islands to maintain healthy bee populations, habitat fragmentation, which is a direct outcome of habitat loss, will influence the remaining populations. Bee populations in ecosystems that support them can be greatly impacted by invasive and emergent species, including plants, other free-living animals, parasites, and diseases. Approximately a third of the planet’s surface, or 38%, is used for agriculture, most of it intensive farming, and grasslands and tropical forests are significantly fewer than they formerly were. Invasive species, parasites, and illness seem to be the most pervasive and well-researched dangers to bee populations, following habitat loss⁵.

The reduction of honey bees (Apis mellifera) is also influenced by pesticides. The impact of various pesticide kinds and application techniques on bee health is still being studied by scientists. Neonicotinoids, a group of agricultural pesticides, are the substance under investigation the most. Because these chemicals are systemic, the plant absorbs them through its circulatory system and disperses them across all tissues. They only impact invertebrates and take action after a single application, making them less prone to runoff and less harmful to people, animals, and other species. They are highly well-liked.  Since bees consume pollen and nectar rather than plant tissue, the insecticide should not harm them. However, research has revealed that pollen grains contain small levels of pesticides. One pollen grain with trace chemicals wouldn’t be a problem since bees send pollen back to their colonies for sustenance, but researchers have discovered that the toxins build up to dangerous quantities in beeswax. Additionally, pesticides disrupt bee communication, which is mostly dependent on chemical and physical cues. It has been demonstrated that the ingredients in pesticides change their communication, foraging, and larval development. By weakening the bees’ immune systems, pesticides make the hive more vulnerable to parasite infestation⁶.

Why do We Need Bees?

Bee Benefits to Agriculture

The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), which fulfills 34% of pollination needs in the United Kingdom, is the primary species responsible for bee pollination globally. Researchers have primarily concentrated on a small number of bee species thus far, mainly the bumble bee, even though many other bee species contribute to pollination. (Bombus spp.). Greenleaf and Kremen found that interactions between wild bees and honey bees boosted pollination rates and increased the predominance of hybrid sunflowers by five times when compared to wild bees alone⁷.

Around the world, pollinator-dependent crop plantings increased from 19.4% in the early 1960s to 32.8% in 2016. This growth is partly attributable to a 30% increase in the area of agricultural land worldwide, which is primarily used for pollinator-dependent crops, particularly transgenic oil-seed crops cultivated in monocultures (such as soybean, canola, and oil palm) and a variety of temperate and tropical fruit crops. The increase in crop yields due to pollination is a necessity for the current growing human population⁸.

Biodiversity

Humans place a high value on biodiversity because of how it affects the availability of food and the likelihood of pandemics. Millions of dollars are undoubtedly contributed to the agricultural sector by wild bees. It is hard to quantify the value of the pollination services provided by bees to the range, forests, crops, and ornamental flowers. Unfortunately, the ecological balance is negatively impacted by dwindling biodiversity, which increases the danger of disease transmission. The most capable pollinators, bees, provide a significant contribution to the preservation of biodiversity through pollination, improving ecological equilibrium⁹.

How Can We Protect the Bees?

By taking care of their fundamental requirements, we can start protecting bees. Three essential requirements for habitat exist for native bees:

1. Bees require a consistent source of food, such as a variety of plants with overlapping flowering dates to ensure that blossoms are accessible throughout the growing season. It can help with this by protecting natural habitats and planting in residential gardens.
2. Bees require nesting locations. The majority of native bees live alone, and none of them construct the wax or paper nests that we associate with honey bees or wasps. The majority of bees build their underground nests themselves or in the tiny tunnels that beetle larvae frequently leave behind in fallen trees. To raise their young, bumble bees need tiny holes, either in tree boles, underground (typically in abandoned rat tunnels), or under clumps of dead grass. Queen bees also need undisturbed dirt to burrow into and spend the winter in.
3. The majority of pesticides must be avoided by bees. Because they are often broad-spectrum, insecticides are lethal to bees. Many of the blooms that bees rely on for food can be destroyed by the indiscriminate use of herbicides. Encourage bees by keeping an eye out for, guarding against, and improving nesting places and year-round sources of pollen and nectar¹⁰.

It is generally believed that these minor modifications will help bees gradually restore their number, which has decreased in recent years. We owe this to bees, who provide several advantages to both humans and nature. If we do not act now, we may find ourselves unable to meet the agricultural needs of our rising population. We could endanger not only bees but also numerous plant and animal species due to the destruction of natural places.

References:

1. Le Conte Y, Navajas & M. Climate change: impact on honey bee populations and diseases. Rev sci tech Off int Epiz. 2008;27(2):499-510.
2. Bees’ ability to forage decreases as air pollution increases | Penn State University. Accessed March 24, 2023. https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/bees-ability-forage-decreases-air-pollution-increases/
3. Traynor KS, Mondet F, de Miranda JR, et al. Varroa destructor: A Complex Parasite, Crippling Honey Bees Worldwide. Trends Parasitol. 2020;36(7):592-606. doi:10.1016/J.PT.2020.04.004
4. Board AS. Honey Bee Colonies Report 2019. 2019;(March):1-16. www.nass.usda.gov.
5. Brown MJF, Paxton RJ. The conservation of bees: a global perspective. Apidologie. 2009;40(3):410-416. doi:10.1051/APIDO/2009019
6. Woodcock BA, Bullock JM, Shore RF, et al. Country-specific effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on honey bees and wild bees. Science (80- ). 2017;356(6345):1393-1395. doi:10.1126/SCIENCE.AAA1190/SUPPL_FILE/AAA1190_WOODCOCK.SM.PDF
7. Khalifa SAM, Elshafiey EH, Shetaia AA, et al. Overview of Bee Pollination and Its Economic Value for Crop Production. Insects 2021, Vol 12, Page 688. 2021;12(8):688. doi:10.3390/INSECTS12080688
8. Aizen MA, Arbetman MP, Chacoff NP, et al. Invasive Bees and Their Impact on Agriculture. Vol 63. 1st ed. Elsevier Ltd.; 2020. doi:10.1016/bs.aecr.2020.08.001
9. Thakur M. Bees as Pollinators-Biodiversity and Conservation. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264846564
10. Vaughan M, Black SH. Native Pollinators. Nativ Plants J. 2008;9(2):80-91. doi:10.2979/NPJ.2008.9.2.80

Figure reference:

1. Khalifa SAM, Elshafiey EH, Shetaia AA, et al. Overview of Bee Pollination and Its Economic Value for Crop Production. Insects 2021, Vol 12, Page 688. 2021;12(8):688. doi:10.3390/INSECTS12080688
2. Nazzi F, Le Conte Y. Ecology of Varroa destructor, the Major Ectoparasite of the Western Honey Bee, Apis mellifera. Annu Rev Entomol. 2016;61:417-432. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-010715-023731

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