Bees are very important pollinators in the world and are responsible for pollinating a large portion of the agricultural crops that we consume every day. Without bees, we would not be able to have most of the food we have today, because important crops would deplete rapidly. Humans already are not having enough food to healthily sustain the ever-growing population, we need even more bees than exist now. Not only that, but bees are dying at an alarming rate and we need about 300% more bees than we have now, in order to sustain the current human population. Einstein even stated that “If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live”. There are plenty of reasons why the bee population is declining and we should be very concerned with this decline. They can be affected by pollution, pesticides, habitat loss, disease, and colony collapse disease.
Honey bees are not only important for pollination of crops, but they also create products such as honey and royal jelly. Humans and other animals rely heavily on the crops and products that these honey bees provide and produce. Around one-third of the typical Western diet requires honeybee pollination, some of these crops include fruits, nuts, vegetables, and oilseeds. Also, the crops that honey bees pollinate have a monetary value associated with them, because the farmers sell them to the public. Without money from crops and products, farmers would be unable to keep their farms operating and then we would not have the foods that we need to survive. Honey bees provide a service to not just farmers, but everyone who consumes these crops that they pollinate. Bee pollination aids in the growth and development of these crops and is a free, natural, and clean process. Without pollination, we would not be able to have nearly as much food as we are used to, and many people would die. However, even with how important these pollinators are, their populations are dwindling at an alarming rate, and without them, crops will die.
There are many ways in which we can help the honey bee population, and maybe be able to save them and ourselves from extinction. One part of why honey bee populations are declining is because we are using a lot of pesticides on our crops and other plants. Pesticides are chemical sprays added to plants to keep the “pests” away, but they also can hurt the “good” bugs that are needed for pollination. So one way that you can help the bee population is by not using pesticides on your plants/ crops. This is hard to do because when you go out to your vegetable garden and see that some of your vegetables have been eaten by pests, it can be very annoying. However, you have to be able to make some sacrifices in order to help save the bee population, and therefore, your fellow humans. Another important one is to plant native, or bee-friendly plants, in your garden because this will provide food for bees and most butterflies. Bees need to have a diverse and regular food supply just like humans do. The last way to help the bees, which I think is one of the most important ways, is just to educate yourself and others. Bees are not dangerous in and of themselves, they do not go out of their way to attack humans and cause us pain. A lot of us can remember a time where we got stung by a bee, but it was probably an accident and they were scared. It doesn’t matter what species you are, we all have defense mechanisms, theirs is to sting, and unfortunately, it often ends their life. If we as a population better understand these beautiful creatures, then we will respect them and be able to help them.