Bee Aware, Bee a Hero
Brentzion Abella, September 9, 2018
There are nearly 20,000 known species of bees all over the world. One reason for the drastic decline in bee population is the use of neonicotinoid pesticides. This type of pesticide is really harmful to our beloved bees if they come in contact with it by eating or drinking contaminated pollen, nectar, and even water which leads to chronical poisoning. There are several known bad effects of neonicotinoids to bees such as: compromised immune response, shortened adult life cycles, impaired memory and learning, reduced social communication, disorientation, delayed larval development and disrupted brood cycle. All of this causes tragic effects to our bees. Now imagine if this happens to you, do you think you can handle it? If you can’t, then imagine our poor buzzy fuzzy friends and the pain they go through just so we can get more out of our crops.
One out of three meals eaten by humans is made possible by honeybees. The food we take for granted can either stop existing or there would be a huge decrease in productivity without bees. These includes apples, onions, pumpkins, and even other plants that are used for feeding livestock, which as we all know, plays a huge role in supplying our dairy and meat needs.
According to Georgia Parham, spokesperson for the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, “Even if you can self-pollinate a crop, you get bigger plants and more fruit if bumble bees do the pollination. They’ve got the buzz pollination wherein they grab a part of the flower with their jaws and vibrating their wings to shake the pollen.” (Cole, 2016) .
According to Georgia Parham, spokesperson for the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, “Even if you can self-pollinate a crop, you get bigger plants and more fruit if bumble bees do the pollination. They’ve got the buzz pollination wherein they grab a part of the flower with their jaws and vibrating their wings to shake the pollen.” (Cole, 2016) .
Fun fact, honeybees are vegetarians, so there is no need for you to smash them with a book or something every time you see one. Bees are not out in the open to come and sting us, they are here to help us, in all ways possible. Stay still and calm if a bee is around or lands on you. They can smell the pheromones that comes with our fear and anger, which can trigger them to sting you, which will eventually lead to their death after they sting humans.
Did you know that bees get the most of their nectar from trees? When a tree grows, it provides them with a lot of blossoms to feed from. Trees are not only a great food source but it is also important for their habitat. It provides a lot of nesting materials needed by bees and helps them in making shelters out of it. So every time you waste paper, don’t just think of all the trees cut down to make it, but also all the fuzzy bees out there going great lengths just to have a new habitat and continue helping all of mankind.
Sources
https://www.popsci.com/what-everyone-can-do-to-help-declining-bee-population
https://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/how-to-save-the-bees/
Did you know that bees get the most of their nectar from trees? When a tree grows, it provides them with a lot of blossoms to feed from. Trees are not only a great food source but it is also important for their habitat. It provides a lot of nesting materials needed by bees and helps them in making shelters out of it. So every time you waste paper, don’t just think of all the trees cut down to make it, but also all the fuzzy bees out there going great lengths just to have a new habitat and continue helping all of mankind.
Sources
https://www.popsci.com/what-everyone-can-do-to-help-declining-bee-population
https://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/how-to-save-the-bees/