Over the past several years, there's been a lot of buzz about the worldwide
decline in bee population.
And for good reason. More than 200,000 species of bees
live throughout the world, and are responsible for pollinating about 75%
of the food we eat.
This includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
In total, crops pollinated by bees are worth 215 billion dollars worldwide.
So no bees means no potatoes, no oranges, no lemons no avocados, no cherries, no peaches,
no almonds and no coffee.
Bees also pollinate other important plants
like flowers, trees, and shrubs that protect watersheds
and provide food and shelter for wildlife.
Here's a full list of what bees pollinate.
The point is, bees are super important.
In Georgia alone, there are more than 500 different species of wild bees.
They pollinate some of the state's most valuable crops,
including blueberries, watermelon, and cotton.
A 2014 economic impact study by the University of Georgia determined that the annual value
of pollination in Georgia is over 316 million dollars.
And yes, while many insects such as flies, beetles, butterflies, and moths are also
important pollinators, bees outperform them all.
This is because their diets require pollen and nectar,
their fuzzy bodies easily collect and carry pollen grains,
and their rapid flight from flower to flower allows them to
pollinate a lot of plants every day.
Here's how pollination works.
Flowers have male and female parts.
The stamen is male. This is where pollen is produced.
When bees enter the flower, the pollen sticks to their bodies.
When they move around the flower, the pollen on their bodies connects with the female part,
called the stigma, thereby fertilizing the plant.
Seeds then develop and more flowers are created.
All thanks to the bees.
But over the past 125 years,
about half of the wild bee species are estimated to have gone extinct.
While it's normal for colonies to die off to some extent, bees have
never disappeared at this rate before.
Between 1947 and 2005, U.S. beekeepers lost nearly half of their bees.
By 2006, some keepers were
reporting losses as high as 90 percent.
So what's causing this rapid decline in the number of bees?
Well, scientists aren't entirely sure of all the causes,
but there are a few known culprits.
Popular synthetic pesticides like
neonicotinoids are harmful because they do not break down quickly.
In fact, they are designed to persist in the environment, affecting soil, water, and living organisms.
A plant sprayed with pesticides will distribute the chemicals
throughout its parts, including the pollen and nectar that are collected and
eaten by unassuming bees.
Habitat loss is also a critical factor.
Replace a field of vegetation with concrete, and pollinators lose another food source.
And when bee colonies are weakened due to pesticides and lack of food, they become
vulnerable to viruses, parasites, and all kinds of other infections.
But not all hope is lost.
Here's how you can help.
Plant a variety of flowers and plants in more places, like your backyard, balcony, and school.
Be sure to check each plant's label to make sure that none of them have been sprayed
with neonicotinoids.
Reduce the use of pesticides and keep out invasive species
that don't belong in our local environment.
And take care of our wild bees.
Like most creatures, bees are more afraid of you than you are of them.
So they won't sting you if you don't attack them.
How are you helping our bee population?
Let us know in the comment section below.
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