Why We Need Bees
For our earth to survive, we need pollinators, and bees are one of the biggest pollinator species. They play a major role in every part of our ecosystem, and contribute to ⅓ of our food supply. The average honey bee can visit up to 2,000 plants in one day, making them one of the most efficient pollinators. Many of the plants they pollinate are food crops and trees, all of which affect humans and animals, as well as native plants which all play a role in our environmental surroundings. But due to climate change and other aspects, our honey bee populations are declining at fast rates. There are things we can do to help reverse these affects, and changes that need to be made world wide.
What They Do For Us
For some of our food crops to be successful, they need to be pollinated, which means pollen from the male flower (the anther) needs to be transferred to the female flower (the stigma). As bees move from flower to flower collecting pollen, they leave behind grains of pollen on the sticky surface of the flower, causing germination to happen. By pollinating plants, it benefits us by creating shade, materials needed for building, materials for clothing, producing the oxygen we breath, and keeps waterways clean. Farms need bees to be able to grow the food needed to supply the population, as well as providing the crops needed to feed farm animals to provide milk, meat, and wool.
How They Are Being Threatened With Extinction
Many factors are contributing to the declining population of bees, such as the use of pesticides, climate change, viruses, parasites, monoculture farming, and loss of habitat. Beekeepers all over the world have reported declining colonies in their hives. Not only honey bees are affected, bumble bees and native bee populations are also declining or disappearing. One of the main parasites that harms bees is Varroa destructor, commonly known as Varroa mites. Some of the main diseases the mites carry affect the young bees the most that are not yet adults, causing deforemed wing virus as well as RNA viruses, and if the hive is already weakened, it can wipe out the entire colony. The mite can only reproduce in a honey bee colony, and attaches to a bee’s body and weakens it by sucking the fat bodies.
The use of pesticides is another major factor in the declining bee populations. One of the biggest agricultural pesticides causing issues is neonicotinoids, which are systematic, which then the plant takes them into its vascular system and it is spread to all tissues of the plant. The chemicals in the plant gets taken back to the hive through the pollen bees collect, which not only then accumulate to high levels in the bee’s wax, but also interfere with bee communication, which they do through chemical and physical signals.
Climate change is another major factor harming bees. With rising temperatures and changing weather patterns, this can cause environments to be unstable and can force species to move or die off completely. Bumblebees are one the species most affected by climate change. They are cold weather adapted and found mostly in places with four seasons, but as temperature climbs yearly, this is forcing bumblebees to leave some of the southern areas and head to higher altitudes where temperatures are slightly cooler. The rise in temperature and drought have also been changing the time certain plants and flowers bloom, causing timing mismatches for when the bees typically are able to collect the pollen from the plants.
How We Can Change
So what can we do to help the bees? We may feel like we can’t do much to the bigger risk factors, but we can still help in small ways. Plant pollinator friendly gardens with native plants to give the bees as many areas as possible for them to safely collect pollen. Add in bee baths that allow bees to drink water without the risk of drowning by placing stones in a shallow dish and filling with water that does not cover the stone. Don’t use pesticides or other harsh chemicals in your garden. Support a reputable bee organization that fights for the awareness of bee populations declining, as well as supporting local beekeepers in your area by buying their honey and other products.
Little Bee Blooms
Here at Inherit Designs Landscaping, the environment and everything in it is really important to us. We do everything we can to work green and think of ways to lower our carbon footprint. We would like to announce Little Bee Blooms! It is our organic and ethical fresh cut floral arrangements for weddings, events, wholesale, and retail. Our flowers are safe to handle and are safe for wildlife too. Little Bee Blooms are so friendly to wildlife we find bees sleeping in our flowers all the time! With bee populations in rapid decline, we felt it important to ensure our farm is bee friendly. The bees on our farm flourish with all the diverse flower pollen helping their fragile little immune systems. The bees are one example of many organisms that are increasing the biodiversity on our farm. This is a main farming principle of ours. A farm should always be increasing biodiversity,not destroying it. Click here to visit the site and see what we are about!
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About Me
I am the Owner of Inherit Designs Landscaping. Since 2003, my team and I have been providing sustainable garden solutions to the Cowichan Valley and Greater Victoria. I personally hold two certifications in horticulture and permaculture and take great pride in the service I offer my clients. My family and I live on our organic flower farm called Little Bee Blooms, run by my wife. Together we are continually conducting research gardens and experimenting in many aspects of horticulture and permaculture to improve our knowledge and the operation of our businesses.