When bees are near, most people fear for their lives. Due to this irrational fear that most have, it can be difficult for humans to imagine that honeybees are in much more danger than we are, so much so that it is on a global scale. When we think of bees, most people mainly are only concerned with being stung all the while we should fear for the life of the bees. Honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary bees are all declining at a frightening rate and some bee species have already vanished from the face of the Earth. In March of 2017, a species of bumble bee was added to the United States endangered species list and is now protected by the federal government under the Endangered Species Act (Time). Bees have experienced a decline in species population worldwide of approximately 87% since 1990 (Time). The extinction of bees would result in the demise of the planet in terms of humanity. The vital pollination work that bees do cannot be accomplished at the same rate or efficiency by any other living or nonliving thing, so we would see the extinction of countless other plant species and eventually, animals too. Without enough sufficient food to support all of the billions of animals on the world’s food chain, we would see the largest mass extinction in accounted history. The preservation and protection of bees is absolutely necessary in order to keep the world and its species alive. There are many simple measures that humans can take to prevent the collapse of the bee population, for example, eliminating or at least reducing the use of pesticides, cutting back on our air pollution rates, and restricting habitat loss, to name a few. Without changes in human behavior, the worldwide extinction of bees is inevitable and would be at the fault of humankind.
Picture going to the grocery store in a world where bees do not exist. Without bees to pollinate most of the world’s crops, the amount of food made available to us would be dramatically reduced. There would be little to no produce and any other food that relies on bees directly or indirectly. Bees are critical pollinators to the entire world, as they are known for pollinating approximately 70 out of 100 crop species that feed 90% of all of the world’s species and are solely responsible for $30 billion in agricultural revenue (BBC). Bees are responsible for practically everything at the bottom of the food chain. Due to the nature of the food chain, if bees were removed from the picture, it would cause a ripple effect all the way up to the very top: human beings. For example, if bees do not pollinate berries, then deer will not have anything to eat which will result in damage of the deer population. Bears eat deer and without enough deer to feed the bears, the bear population will be damaged as well. This is not the only example of a food cycle that is affected by bees. Practically everything starts with bees so it is clear to see how this would affect humans and what we rely on for food.
(Source: Visual.ly)
Albert Einstein is famously quoted saying, “If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live” (Rodgers). This may be an extreme theory but Einstein had the right idea, as he usually did in scientific terms. Bees are the world’s single most important pollinator that provide the planet with fruits, vegetables, trees, plants, etc. “A world without bees could not sustain over seven billion people” (BBC), especially when one takes into consideration the rest of the millions of animal species that rely on plants for their food. Even the species that do not directly feed on plants are affected indirectly by the extinction of the animals that eat those plants, and so on up the food chain.
Although the reasoning for the drastic loss of bees is unknown, the endangerment is allegedly credited to several sources. Some of these reasons are Colony Collapse Disorder, the use of pesticides, global warming, and parasites. Colony Collapse Disorder is characterized by the traumatic loss of honeybee colonies at a rapid rate. The reason for the decline of colonies is not entirely evident but most scientists credit the loss to human activity and parasites, specifically the Varroa mite. The Varroa mite is a miniscule parasite that latches onto the backs of bees and feasts on its blood until it is dead. Although they may be tiny, the Varroa mite causes huge effects to the bee population in terms of numbers. The mites also carry diseases that, once exposed to one bee, can be responsible for the termination of all the bees in a colony. Aside from this factor that is out of human control, almost all of the other probable causes are tied to irresponsible human activity: air pollution, habitat loss, global warming, and pesticides. Although it may be difficult to see in terms of our individual selves, when seven billion people around the world cause damage, the effects do not go unnoticed.
There is a common belief that a world without bees would not be much different than our world with bees. One claim is that, with the current rate of scientific advancement, scientists should be able to develop practices and technology where we can self-pollinate as efficiently as bees once did. Although, the millions of dollars in research and technology to build such machines come at a cost where bees pollinate for free and incredibly efficiently. Another claim is that there are multiple methods and practices that already exist that can be used to self-pollinate crops. China is a country that currently is deficient in bee populations. The Chinese farmers, for example, are people that have learned how to cultivate their fields by means of self-pollination. The farmers spend hours a day walking around their crops with a paintbrush-type tool and pollen and brush on the pollen to accomplish the same job that bees used to do in China. While, this method may in fact pollinate the crops, it is uncomparable to the efficiency and speed that bees can do the same job. Also, it is necessary to think of the costs that human-pollination would have for the farmer’s time and the pollen, while bees do it free of charge. Another argument that non-bee supporters make is that, although bees are the most critical pollinators, there are other species of pollinators that can prevent the world’s food chain from collapsing. Forbes Magazine notes that, “…bees aren’t the only pollinators. Hover flies (which look a lot like bees to the untrained eye, but have only one pair of wings), butterflies, hummingbirds and even bats do it too” (Rodgers). While this argument is valid, there is no sure evidence that the other pollinators will be able to take over the job of pollinating the entirety of the world and prevent the extinction of all plant species. Additionally, some choose to believe that the endangerment of bees is utterly untrue. Some scientists argue that, similarly to the global warming dispute, bees have experienced a drastic decline of the same nature some odd 65 million years ago (BBC). This argument is debunked because there is no certain evidence that populations ever fell in the first place. Also, the bees may have recovered and fought extinction but there is no way to be sure of the fact that bees will recover in such ways that they did in prehistoric times.
Bee endangerment is neglected when it should be treated as a worldwide crisis. It is not necessarily a topic that is covered on a national scale, as most do not see the issue as one of grave or imminent danger. This simple disregard may be humankind’s fatal flaw as the extinction of bees will result in the end of life as we know it. We may also It is necessary that governments ban such harmful pesticides and that they also take the proper measures to prevent the extinction of arguably the most important species on Earth.
All humans have an extremely important role in preventing the demise of the bee population. We all need to do our part to ensure that all the bee species in the Apis genus survive as long as the human species do. Beekeepers have taken active roles by inventing new and safer ways to extract honey from beehives. Although most people have no interest in becoming beekeepers, there are many simple ways to prevent the collapse of the bee population, for example, eliminating our use of pesticides, cutting back on our air pollution rates, and restricting habitat loss. Although these may seem like hearty requests, some things that everyone can do are plant bee-friendly plants such as lavender, sunflowers, sage, hydrangeas, and many more. Also, buying organic, locally grown fruits and vegetables can also help bee numbers. If we choose not to act in such easy and appropriate manners, it will be too late to save the bees. The Save the Bees campaign will be nothing but a failed attempt to save the world that goes down in history books. It is imperative that. Although it is still not entirely proven to result in the demise of the planet, it is undeniable that the world will be forever changed for all species without bees in it.