Save The Bees
Scientists believe that bees first bees appeared about 120 million years ago. For centuries, they have played a major role in our ecosystems and our agriculture, and have provided us with a large portion of the food we eat. ⅓ of all of the food we eat is pollination dependent. Bees pollinate 70 types of crops and help feed many other animals in the food chain. Bees also help maintain the genetic diversity of the flowering of plants. Clearly much of the life on this planet depends on bees and what they do for the ecosystems on earth. In the past 10 years our ecosystems have run into a problem. The bees are going extinct due to global warming, pesticides, and other harmful factors.
Global Warming
Global warming is a gradual increase in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants. Global warming has caused dramatic changes in our climate. Because of this the flowers that bees pollinate during the spring are blooming earlier. Meanwhile the bees are in hibernation, and when they come out to pollinate flowers, they have already bloomed. Bees need the nectar from flowers because it provides an important source of energy. Nectar supplies a complex range of sugars, whilst pollen gives vital proteins. Without the nutrients from pollen and nectar the bees are dying.
Pesticides
There is no single cause as to why the bees are dying, according to most scientists who have studied the problem, but rather a combination of factors that include parasites, pathogens, pesticides, poor nutrition, and habitat loss. Pesticides are one of the most widespread dangers to the bee population.According to one study, nearly two-thirds of hives surveyed in Canada and the United States contain at least one synthetic pesticide. The most worrisome is a class of insecticide called neonicotinoids, which have been found to short-circuit bees’ memory and navigation. Neonicotinoids—which are often coated on the seeds of crops including canola that many honeybee colonies rely on for pollen—include Acetamiprid, Clothianidin, Dinotefuran, Imidacloprid, Nitenpyram, Thiacloprid, and Thiamethoxam. The EPA announced in 2016 that Imidacloprid, a widely used neonicotinoid insecticide, “potentially poses risk to hives when the pesticide comes in contact with certain crops that attract pollinators.” Pesticides kill hundreds of bees a year and are one of many reasons why the bee population is declining.
Varroa Mite
The varroa mite, which started infesting honey bee colonies after coming into Florida in the mid-1980s, are external parasites that attack honey bees. They suck the blood from both the adults and the developing broad. Emerging brood may be deformed with missing legs or wings. Untreated infestations of varroa mites will increase and may kill colonies. If the colonies are not examined for mites, losses may be mistaken for winter mortality or queenlessness. The adult female mites have eight legs and reddish-brown flattened oval bodies about 1 to 1.5 mm across. They are large enough to be seen with the naked eye on the bee’s thorax or abdomen. Their flat shape allows them to fit between the bee's abdominal segments. This mite is often confused with the bee louse.The European honeybee — which comprises most honey bee races in North America — has no innate immunity against viruses carried by the varroa mite, and in the last 30 years the viruses have become more severe because of how they are transmitted between mites. All of which is to say that 20 mites among 100 bees was a concern 20 years ago, but today three mites among 100 bees carries the same threat level. Most infested colonies die within 1 to 2 years if the beekeeper does not take actions against Varroa mites
How Can You Help?
How Can You help?
Plant bee- friendly plants , flowers, and foods.
Avoid the use of chemicals and pesticides in your gardens.
Support local sustainable farmers
Buy local and raw honey
Make a “bee hotel”
Encourage local garden stores to not sell bee killing pesticides and chemicals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the bees play vital role in our ecosystems on earth, and provide us with much of the food we eat and the nature we see around us. Without bees, animals as well as humans will suffer and we will not see the biodiversity that is around us today. You can help save the bees by reducing your carbon footprint, spreading awareness, and refraining from using pesticides. Our world has depended on the bees for millions of years and although their population is declining, their presence in our ecosystems is still a necessity.