BY SOPHIA WENGIER AND SAVANNAH KEYSER
One may come across many people who fear or hate bees, seeing them as a nuisance and pest. However, despite their negative reputation, bees are crucial to the well being of everything on this planet (including human beings). Due to the fact that they pollinate 75 percent of the world’s food crops, it is safe to say that life without bees would be very hard, if not impossible. Simply put, bees are critical to the reproduction of edible plants and therefore to the lives of the animals and humans that eat them, while also providing us with the beauty of gardens and the sweetness of honey.
Bees have been dying off since the 1990’s, now facing historically high death rates and Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). CCD is a phenomenon which occurs when the majority of worker bees (the bees whose job it is to collect pollen) die off or disappear and leave behind the queen. Although scientists and beekeepers have been unsure for years exactly what is behind this strange disappearance, they now believe that there are several culprits: poor nutrition, the varroa mite, and pesticides. According to Dr. Heather Mattila, a honey bee biologist at Wellesley College, honeybees require different varieties of pollen in order to live. However, with the decrease in wildlife habitat and the increase in cities, bees are losing the variety and multitude of plants that they can pollinate. Another reason for the rapid decline in bee population are Varroa mites, which attach to honey bees, suck their blood, and can wipe out entire colonies. Finally, the largest factor of bee death is pesticides. A class of pesticides called neonicotinoids can paralyze a bee until it dies from starvation. These pesticides are commonly used on crops around the world and are the leading cause of the disappearance of bees.
Although the bee population is decreasing rapidly, there are actions one can take to help save them. One of the biggest ways to help the crucial insect is to buy foods grown organically. This means that the crop has not been treated with pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, sewage sludge, or ionizing radiation. The USDA has categorized these foods into three groups: those with 100% organic ingredients, those with at least 95% organic ingredients, and those that are made with a minimum of 70% organic ingredients. Consuming foods that are not grown with pesticides will show a higher demand which will encourage growth of the industry. This will lead to the production of more organic foods and less use of pesticides, which will in turn help to prevent bee death.
Another way that one can assist in saving the bees is buying local honey in order to support beekeepers in the surrounding area. Buying honey from keepers in your area can ensure that it is obtained in a safe way that will protect honeybees (not to mention it tastes better than when it’s highly processed.) Supporting local beekeepers will give important funds to the people who have the welfare of the bees in mind. Additionally, honey is also a great way to help with allergies because of a process called immunotherapy, essentially, using honey as a vaccine against allergens. When one eats the honey, they are being exposed to a very small amount of the irritant from local plants, and will start to build up an immunity to that plant’s pollen. Buying local honey is a win-win situation for everyone: the bees, the beekeepers, and consumers
Bees are easily one of the most important animals when it comes to human survival and survival of animals in general. It is crucial that a great effort is made to help repopulate the dying species. Without the bees, humans very well may not survive. A common misconception is that bees have the intention of stinging people in order to harm them. However, this is not true; stinging would result in death for the bee who only wants to do their job and pollinate the beautiful plants around them. Bees don’t want to die, they want to live. Help the bees live.
