Why Are Bees So Important to Our Planet?

The job of the bees

There are around 25,000 different species of bees on Earth. Bees are essential pollinators to our planet and play a very important part in our everyday life. Without them, we will not be able to survive. They help us by pollinating flowers and with crop growth, which is extremely vital for the survival of agriculture, as well as our population; simply put, if bees have food, we get food. Bees affect crop productions, increasing outputs of most of the food leading food goods worldwide alongside with many plant-derived medicines and skincare products based on honey that the bees produce. Knowing that these creatures have such power and that humans are dependent on them is incredibly fascinating yet so scary.

The problem

Unfortunately, the current situation of bees is not too great; numbers of bees, especially honeybees, are alarmingly dropping. Statistics show that for over a decade, over 30 percent of the bees' population has been dying off yearly, along with the loss of honeybee hives in the UK and US, worth over £2.5 billion. Not to mention, over half a million bees were killed in 2019 during a tragedy. This is a major concern. Today, the economy is experiencing a significant economy decrease. No bees, means no crop growth, which leads to a lack of revenue for companies.

Many valuable agricultural crops such as cherries, almonds, and apples (which have the world's largest number sales on the market) rely 90 percent on honeybee pollination. They need to be pollinated on a regular basis in order to maintain growth and survive. Sadly, with the decrease of bees this will be a problem. However, there are crops that are self-pollinated or modified in order to become self-pollinated. This is unfortunately only the minority.

What causes the decrease?

The population is declining due to a variety of factors. These can include:

•Pesticides- herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides

Pesticides are used in order to: increase growth of crops, prevent diseases, kill pests and insects and to get rid of weeds.

This however, is a huge danger to bees since they're insects too. The chemical makes bees weak and in big amounts can cause death.

Pesticides are poisonous and they can kill not only pests, but humans also. They cause many illness and diseases which can lead to cancer.

We say technology has become better and allows us to make progress, to make our planet a better place. But is this really what's happening?

•Climate change

Researches say that as snow melts earlier, flowers emerge earlier along with their pollen. This, however, confuses bees. They want to pollinate flowers but little do they know, they are exposed to extreme weather conditions in which they struggle to survive in.

•Pollution

Pollution interferes with the bees' ability to locate food; it confuses them because it mixes in with the scent particles released by flowers.

On social media and in many reports we are told how much air pollution affects us as humans. This can however also have a big impact on bees, as well as other insects important for our life.

Many bees also die in fires, whether they are accidental or on purpose. The most recent tragedy took place at a BCBA Bee Yard in Alvin where 20 hives were thrown into a pond and set on fire. More than half a million bees were killed.

How do we prevent this?

The best things you could do, are:

• Buy local honey and support local beekeepers.

• Plant your garden with bee-friendly plants and trees.

• Try not to use chemicals or pesticides to treat your garden trees and crops.

• Ask your MP to improve research into honeybee health.

• If possible, become a beekeeper!

• Donate money to support beekeepers worldwide! :)