A report published in the Royal Society's journal shows growing evidence of bee declining consequences on the agricultural economy. The study conducted by a team of scientists from the U.S.A, Canada, and Sweden, in 131 major crop-producing areas across the United States revealed the impact that a decline in pollination had on yields.
The crops studied were apple, blueberry, sweet cherry, watermelon, tart cherry, almond, and pumpkin. Scientists discovered that an increase of pollinator activities resulted in higher crop yields. However, declining wild bees activity caused lower crop yields, impacting five out of the seven crops observed.
They also found that both domesticated and wild bees equally contribute to pollinate crops. Based on this data, the scientists surmised that the wild Bees pollination is responsible for $1.5 billion worth of crops per year compared with $6.4 billion for domesticated honey Bees.
Reasons for the Decline in Bee Population
Also known as Colony Collapse Disorder, the dwindling or loss of bee colonies does not have a single direct cause. Nonetheless, scientists identified multiple stressors that can be held accountable for the declining population of Bees.
These factors include climate change, pesticide exposure, parasites and pathogen agents, poor nutrition, loss of habitat and biodiversity due to deforestation for establishing intensive agriculture, and more. In short, the conditions necessary to sustain life for Bees are becoming rarer and rarer on the planet.
The bees are also vulnerable to invasive species like the Asian Giant hornets, sometimes called ‘murder hornets’. These insects with powerful stingers can destroy an entire Bee colony in a matter of hours.
Entomologists (scientists that study insects) have realized this and have been trying to remove these hornets from areas with potentially high Bee populations. on October 27th, a group in Washington discovered an Asian Giant Hornets' nest by tying tracking devices with dental floss to the wandering hornets. The nest of around 200 Hornets, was vacuumed and the tree cut down to remove all the nests. However, the threat of giant Hornets and declining Bee population still remains very prevalent and threatens food security for the world.
If you would like to help curb this problem here are a few actions you can take. Keep a garden full of diverse and native plants in your yard instead of a lawn. Buy locally made honey to support Bee farms rather than buying industrially produced honey. Join or donate to an organization such as planetbee.org or thebeeconservancy.org.
Bibliography
“Bee Colony Collapse Disorder.” National Pesticide Information Center, 5 June 2015, npic.orst.edu/envir/ccd.html.
Dunphy, Siobhán. “Declining Wild Bee Populations Threaten Key Food Crops.” European Scientist, 3 Aug. 2020, www.europeanscientist.com/en/agriculture/declining-wild-bee-populations-threaten-key-food-crops/.
Holland , Jennifer. “9 Ways You Can Help Bees and Other Pollinators At Home.” National Geographic, 8 Apr. 2016, www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/05/150524-bees-pollinators-animals-science-gardens-plants/.
“'Murder Hornet': First Nest Found in US Eradicated with Vacuum Hose.” BBC News, BBC, 25 Oct. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54681723.
Reilly , J. R., et al. “Crop Production in the USA Is Frequently Limited by a Lack of Pollinators.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 29 July 2020, royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.0922.
“What's behind the Decline in Bees and Other Pollinators? (Infographic): News: European Parliament.” What's behind the Decline in Bees and Other Pollinators? (Infographic) | News | European Parliament, 18 Dec. 2019, www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20191129STO67758/what-s-behind-the-decline-in-bees-and-other-pollinators-infographic.
