As kids, my sister and I were given the summer job of picking apples up in our backyard so my dad wouldn’t run over them with the lawnmower. We were terrified of the bees that hovered around them, and would give the half-rotten apples a few firm kicks before safely plucking them up and throwing them into the field. This left me with more than a few bee stings, as well as a fear for the buzzing creatures.
But the truth is, the bees probably had more to fear than we did; for the last few decades, their populations have been on the decline. According to a literature review conducted by the United Nations, this can be attributed in part to pesticide use, competition, loss of habitats, and climate change. This concern was further amplified in 2006-2007 with the collapse of commercial colonies and loss of one-third of these honeybees.
Given these reasons, it might be tempting to chalk up bee decline, and perhaps insect pollinator decline generally, to certain professions and climate conditions. But the truth is, whether one is directly involved in the agriculture industry, or even a city-dweller, pollinators need us. After all, we rely on them to pollinate 35% of our food crops globally.
One easy way to help the bees, whether you live in a rural or urban area, is to plant native flowers for them. In fact, as researchers are beginning to realize, cities have a special advantage to providing safe spaces for pollinators: they often contain a diversity of flowering plants within small areas with their gardens, meadows, and nature reserves. Furthermore, selecting a variety of plants that flower over different time spans can provide a more constant source of forage for the bees. Finally, buying organic foods can also help to reduce the use of pesticides that may have adverse effects on bees and other pollinators.
Bees have more to fear than we do—but no matter where you come from, we can all agree that we would not be better off if these bees simply buzzed off.
For more information:
http://www.relu.ac.uk/landbridge/resources/pdfs/LWEC%2020%20PP.pdf
https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:32258
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-14309007
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/27/science/decline-of-species-that-pollinate-poses-a-threat-to-global-food-supply-report-warns.html
But the truth is, the bees probably had more to fear than we did; for the last few decades, their populations have been on the decline. According to a literature review conducted by the United Nations, this can be attributed in part to pesticide use, competition, loss of habitats, and climate change. This concern was further amplified in 2006-2007 with the collapse of commercial colonies and loss of one-third of these honeybees.
Given these reasons, it might be tempting to chalk up bee decline, and perhaps insect pollinator decline generally, to certain professions and climate conditions. But the truth is, whether one is directly involved in the agriculture industry, or even a city-dweller, pollinators need us. After all, we rely on them to pollinate 35% of our food crops globally.
One easy way to help the bees, whether you live in a rural or urban area, is to plant native flowers for them. In fact, as researchers are beginning to realize, cities have a special advantage to providing safe spaces for pollinators: they often contain a diversity of flowering plants within small areas with their gardens, meadows, and nature reserves. Furthermore, selecting a variety of plants that flower over different time spans can provide a more constant source of forage for the bees. Finally, buying organic foods can also help to reduce the use of pesticides that may have adverse effects on bees and other pollinators.
Bees have more to fear than we do—but no matter where you come from, we can all agree that we would not be better off if these bees simply buzzed off.
For more information:
http://www.relu.ac.uk/landbridge/resources/pdfs/LWEC%2020%20PP.pdf
https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:32258
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-14309007
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/27/science/decline-of-species-that-pollinate-poses-a-threat-to-global-food-supply-report-warns.html
