where did all the bees go?
“If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live.” - Albert Einstein
This may or may not be true - but the fact is bees are disappearing, and we know for sure that if we lose bees, there will be big issues in our lives.
Habitat loss, pesticides and climate change are threatening insect populations around the world. This means that because of human activities, these populations will be declining.
Bees have been hidden helpers for years. They are constantly working to pollinate. Without bees, we would not be here right now. In the past bees may have been in the back of our minds. I think now is the time for us to think deeper about Einstein’s warning.
Bees are the most important pollinators. Native bees pollinate more than eighty percent of all flowering plants, contributing to the production of 70% of farm products.
Bees obtain their protein from pollen, which they collect from flowers. However, due to the increase in CO2 levels in the air, the pollen produces fewer proteins, leading to a lack of protein in bees' bodies. As their bodies weaken, ticks and other bacteria start to grow on the bees.
The Biological Conservation magazine said in 2019 that 40% of pollen will disappear within 10 years. The bee's decline may not seem like it is creating a huge impact in our lives at this moment - but if we don’t pay attention to the bees now, it will be too late.
What can we do to help save the bees? I think that donating to organizations that are helping to prevent climate change and save bees is a good idea. For example, 3Bee is working to make bee monitors that keep track of bee colonies. They sell this product to farmers to help support biodiversity and maintain healthy bees. 3Bee is “committed to environmental sustainability and nature conservation through the adoption of bees, tree pollinators”. One way we can directly help bees is a fun activity is that everybody plants native plants and flowers to make the school colorful and attract bees and other insects. This way, schools can be welcoming for bees to come and pollinate. This can be a fun opportunity to educate people, and help the bees at the same time.
Also we can simply make beehives. There are so many things we can do to support bees and other insects!