Why are Bees so Important?
Honeybees and wild pollinators play a crucial role in agriculture and food production. However, the current chemical-intensive agriculture model is threatening both, and thereby putting food supply at risk
One of every three bites of food eaten in the world depends on pollinators in order for successful harvest.
Beekeepers and gardeners have noticed that bees are less healthy and abundant compared to previous years. Throughout the 2013 American winter, beekeepers experienced losses of 40 to 50 per cent of the number of bees. If this trend continues serious implications could arise as they play an important role in agriculture and food production all around the world as well as the pollination of plants and flowers.
One of every three bites of food eaten in the world depends on pollinators in order for successful harvest.
Beekeepers and gardeners have noticed that bees are less healthy and abundant compared to previous years. Throughout the 2013 American winter, beekeepers experienced losses of 40 to 50 per cent of the number of bees. If this trend continues serious implications could arise as they play an important role in agriculture and food production all around the world as well as the pollination of plants and flowers.
Why Are the Bees Dying?
Several factors have been identified as probable contributory causes of honeybee decline:
Diseases: Honeybees and their larvae are affected by many diseases caused by bacteria, fungi and viruses such as Varroa. Some mite-transmitted viruses, such as deformed wing virus, acute paralysis virus, slow paralysis virus and cloudy wing virus, weaken honeybee colonies by reducing the longevity of adult honeybees. This affects their efficacy as pollinators and nectar gatherers.
Pesticides: Pesticides, especially insecticides, are often blamed for bee losses. The instructions on the packaging usually state “Dangerous to bees”. This is because if the chemical is sprayed directly on to bees they are likely to be harmed. All pesticides are intensively researched before approval is given for their sale and use. This includes the pesticides’ effects on the environment and some beneficial insects. The effects on honeybees are assessed both inside the hives and on bees while they are foraging for nectar and pollen. Several bee poisoning incidents with these neonicotinoids have occurred abroad as a result of incorrect application by farmers and some research has shown harmful effects on the foraging ability of honeybees and the colony size of bumblebees.
Diseases: Honeybees and their larvae are affected by many diseases caused by bacteria, fungi and viruses such as Varroa. Some mite-transmitted viruses, such as deformed wing virus, acute paralysis virus, slow paralysis virus and cloudy wing virus, weaken honeybee colonies by reducing the longevity of adult honeybees. This affects their efficacy as pollinators and nectar gatherers.
Pesticides: Pesticides, especially insecticides, are often blamed for bee losses. The instructions on the packaging usually state “Dangerous to bees”. This is because if the chemical is sprayed directly on to bees they are likely to be harmed. All pesticides are intensively researched before approval is given for their sale and use. This includes the pesticides’ effects on the environment and some beneficial insects. The effects on honeybees are assessed both inside the hives and on bees while they are foraging for nectar and pollen. Several bee poisoning incidents with these neonicotinoids have occurred abroad as a result of incorrect application by farmers and some research has shown harmful effects on the foraging ability of honeybees and the colony size of bumblebees.
Stake HoldersGovernment: the government is highly concerned about the declining numbers of bees as they are in charge of the general health of the public and without any bees to pollinate the crops, the food source of the general public would diminish, especially in vegetable and fruit industries. Governments in some places have banned some pesticides to try to stop the decline in bee numbers.
Bee keeper: without bees, their entire industry would crash Farmers: although there are some other methods of pollination for some crops, farmers would experience increases economical difficulty as many crops would not flower and die because of the lack of pollination Environmental activists: many groups such as Greenpeace are trying to stop the decrease of bee numbers by holding things like protests and demonstrations and educating people about the effects of pesticides on bees. |
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California Almond Orchards
California Almond Orchards are struggling to produce crops with the decline of the honey bees.
With a crop of 800,000 they don’t have enough bees to pollinate.
"We need 1.6 million colonies, or two colonies per acre, and California has only about 500,000 colonies that can be used for that purpose, we need a million more colonies but die to winter losses, we may not have enough bee's".
Last year was not a good year for honey production in the U.S. It could be one of the worst honey production years in the history of the nation. Usually they are short of nectar, not pollen and honey bees need both, so 2012 was a bad year for bee nutrition.
Malnutrition is one of the main stressors of the colony collapse. It was the first noticed during the winter of 2006 and has dissipated one-third of the nations bee's every year.
Some beekeepers have reported winter losses of 90 to 100 per cent. I CCD, the adult bees abandon the hive, leaving behind the queen bee, brood and food stores.
Bee scientists think CCD is cause by a multitude of factors including, pests, pesticides, parasites, diseases, malnutrition and stress. They don’t know how many more bee's will be lost over the winter. Many colonies wont even make it. In other words, fewer colonies will be available for the almond growers and the colonies that are available aren't going to be populous.
Almond growers usually want atleast eight frames of bees per hive, but this year they will be lucky to get six. That’s one third less bees per hive to pollinate the orchards. Brokers are getting calls from beekeepers saying that they can't fulfil their contract because they are short. Almonds are California's biggest export.
This year the National Agricultural Statistics Service is forecasting a record-breaking 2.10 million meat pounds, valued at approximately $3 billion. Eighty-percent of the global supply of Almonds is grown in California, and about 70 percent of California's crop is marketed overseas. The decline of bees has strongly effected the Almond business of California.
With a crop of 800,000 they don’t have enough bees to pollinate.
"We need 1.6 million colonies, or two colonies per acre, and California has only about 500,000 colonies that can be used for that purpose, we need a million more colonies but die to winter losses, we may not have enough bee's".
Last year was not a good year for honey production in the U.S. It could be one of the worst honey production years in the history of the nation. Usually they are short of nectar, not pollen and honey bees need both, so 2012 was a bad year for bee nutrition.
Malnutrition is one of the main stressors of the colony collapse. It was the first noticed during the winter of 2006 and has dissipated one-third of the nations bee's every year.
Some beekeepers have reported winter losses of 90 to 100 per cent. I CCD, the adult bees abandon the hive, leaving behind the queen bee, brood and food stores.
Bee scientists think CCD is cause by a multitude of factors including, pests, pesticides, parasites, diseases, malnutrition and stress. They don’t know how many more bee's will be lost over the winter. Many colonies wont even make it. In other words, fewer colonies will be available for the almond growers and the colonies that are available aren't going to be populous.
Almond growers usually want atleast eight frames of bees per hive, but this year they will be lucky to get six. That’s one third less bees per hive to pollinate the orchards. Brokers are getting calls from beekeepers saying that they can't fulfil their contract because they are short. Almonds are California's biggest export.
This year the National Agricultural Statistics Service is forecasting a record-breaking 2.10 million meat pounds, valued at approximately $3 billion. Eighty-percent of the global supply of Almonds is grown in California, and about 70 percent of California's crop is marketed overseas. The decline of bees has strongly effected the Almond business of California.
Impacts
The importance of Bees around the world is clearly evident. Currently, one of every three bites of food eaten around the world depends on pollinators in order for a successful harvest and with bees in rapid decline there is potential for some massive impacts. Although there is no one single factor that can be blamed for the overall global decline in bee populations, this is no doubt the product of multiple factors. One of the biggest suspected culprits causing the decrease of bee populations is the global use of neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world and they are affecting the health of the bee populations. These poisons are getting to the bees through the pollen, nectar, the air, water and the soil. These bees can be toxic in the short term and low doses in the long term can lead to chronic effects
that weaken and ultimately kill the bee.
Firstly, losing a significant amount of bees means that there will be a great amount of damage in agriculture and food production. Honey bees in the United States of America bring in annual revenue of US$15 billion and bring in €22 billion annually to the European agricultural industry. This loss could perhaps lead to a great devastation in the American and European economy.
The importance of Bees around the world is clearly evident. Currently, one of every three bites of food eaten around the world depends on pollinators in order for a successful harvest and with bees in rapid decline there is potential for some massive impacts. Although there is no one single factor that can be blamed for the overall global decline in bee populations, this is no doubt the product of multiple factors. One of the biggest suspected culprits causing the decrease of bee populations is the global use of neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world and they are affecting the health of the bee populations. These poisons are getting to the bees through the pollen, nectar, the air, water and the soil. These bees can be toxic in the short term and low doses in the long term can lead to chronic effects
that weaken and ultimately kill the bee.
Firstly, losing a significant amount of bees means that there will be a great amount of damage in agriculture and food production. Honey bees in the United States of America bring in annual revenue of US$15 billion and bring in €22 billion annually to the European agricultural industry. This loss could perhaps lead to a great devastation in the American and European economy.
What can you do?
Bees are declining dramatically and if this keeps going the way it is going, soon there will be no bees left.
So what can you do:
- Become a bee keeper
- Provide nest sites for solitary bees (http://mrccc.org.au/downloads/links/BEE%20WALL%20and%20HABITAT%20-%205%20page.pdf)
- Grow flowers that bees like
- Use pesticides sparingly
If we want to still have bees in the future we have to do everything that we can to keep them alive.
So what can you do:
- Become a bee keeper
- Provide nest sites for solitary bees (http://mrccc.org.au/downloads/links/BEE%20WALL%20and%20HABITAT%20-%205%20page.pdf)
- Grow flowers that bees like
- Use pesticides sparingly
If we want to still have bees in the future we have to do everything that we can to keep them alive.