What is the
Result of the Bees Decline?
In fact, ecosystems represent a complex of
interconnected lifeforms, both animal and plant, which greatly depend upon each
other. Ecosystems exist in comfortable balance and reasonable harmony. That’s
how it operates: in case only one component of that ecosystem is out of
synchronization, the whole system is overthrown. Bees are part and parcel of a
beneficial ecosystem, as we count on bees’ pollination for a variety of food.
Collapse of Bee
Colonies
The western honey bee or European honey bee so-called Apis
Mellifera is considered native to Europe, Africa and Western Asia. Today it is
disappearing around the world. There is also a noticed decline of the eastern
honey bee called Apis Cerana.
This is no marginal species loss. Domestic and wild
honey bees perform round about 80 % of all pollination worldwide. Each day one
bee colony can pollinate about 300 million flowers. As we know, grains are
mostly pollinated by the wind; however the best food, including nuts,
vegetables and fruits are pollinated by bees. Moreover, 70 out of the top 100
human food crops are pollinated by bees.
According to Tonio Borg, a member of the European
Commission responsible for Health and Consumer Policy, bees contribute over $30
billion US dollars to European agriculture annually. In fact, bees pollinate
food valued at over $350 billion US dollars worldwide.
The bee collapse is a significant challenge to
humankind on an equal basis with global warming, nuclear war and ocean
acidification .
Bee Products
Human health is considerably improved by the existence
of bee products. The following important products, which bees offer, can
benefit humans:
Honey is a
powerhouse of health benefits. Honey is not just a sweetener. It includes
plenty of vitamin, such as iron, phosphorous, vitamins A/B-complex/C/D/E/K. It
soothes coughs, boosts memory, treats wounds, provides nutrients, potentially
prevents low white blood cell count, relieves seasonal allergies, kills
antibiotic-resistant bacteria, helps metabolize alcohol, makes great workout fuel,
resolves scalp problems and dandruff and much more.
• Beeswax is used as a natural product to
make crayons, lip balm, candles, cosmetics, moisturizers, etc.
• Royal jelly has a variety of minerals,
vitamins and fatty acids.
• Propolis, created from tree resins,
contains a lot of vitamins/amino acids and has a strong antibiotic effect.
• Venom is widely used in the antivenin
development to treat stings. Moreover, it also functions as arthritis pain
reliever.
So you see that the bee can be called an integral part
of the ecosystem.
Importance of
Bees
Worker bees so-called female (eusocial) bees live
several months. New eusocial bees are produced by colonies during the spring
and summer period. During the winter period reproduction slows down. As a rule,
a bee colony declines by 5-10 % over the winter and then replaces the lost bees
in the spring.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the
worker bees pollinate 80% of the flowering crops that constitute 1/3 of
everything people eat. Losing them can
significantly affect not only such main products as broccoli, asparagus,
cucumbers, apples, blueberries, strawberries and nuts, but even may negatively affect our beef in case alfalfa is not available for feed.
According to One Cornell University, “honeybees
annually pollinate $14 billion worth of seeds and crops in the United States.
In fact, if honeybees disappear, they could take most of our insect pollinated
plants with them, potentially reducing mankind to little more than a water
diet.”
Bees are of
extremely high value as cross-pollination agents. The majority of plants are
completely dependent on specific types of bees for the reproduction, including
red clover that is pollinated only by the bumblebee.
What is
pollination?
Pollination is transfer of pollen from the male part
of the flower (the anther) to the female part of the flower (the stigma). Some
plants are self-pollinating. In such a case the pollen passes from the anther
to the stigma inside the same flower. Other plants require pollen to be
transferred between different individuals of the plant or different flowers.
This is called cross-pollination.
Why the Decline
in Bees?
Scientists are not sure about the real reason why bees
are dying out. Under ordinary conditions 10% of bee hive are lost in the winter
time; however official data shows bee-colonies losses of about 32% in 2007, 36%
in 2008 and 29% in 2009. Extensive use of pesticides on crops, increasing
monculture and destruction of habitat are contributing factors to the bee
decline.
Solution Exists
Common sense actions could restore and protect the
world’s bees. Experienced apiculturists, farmers and bee keepers outline the
following problem-solutions:
• Ban
the 7 most dangerous pesticides
• Try to
restore ecological agriculture
• Protect
pollinator health by preserving wild habitat
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