Why are Bees so Important? (And How We Can Help)

Here’s Why They’re Crucial – And What You Can Do

Many of us think that bees just produce a bit of honey. But you’ve probably seen media reports on bee problems – that they’re dying out.

Would this be a bad thing?

Definitely.  Here’s why, and what we can do to help.

What do bees do?

Bees are key to global food production.  They pollinate more than two-fifths of our crop food species.  Carrying pollen and seeds from one flower to another, bees fertilize plants so they can grow and produce food.

Animal pollination (mostly carried out by honeybees) is essential for nuts, melons and berries.  Bee pollination plays varying roles in citrus fruits and many vegetables, as well as coffee and cocoa.

Do you enjoy pumpkin pie, or pumpkin soup? Thank bees.

If you sit down to orange juice, fruit jams or jellies, and honey, bees played a significant role in your breakfast.

Without bees to spread seeds, many plants (including food crops) would die off.

Almond growers in California, USA need to import vast numbers of bees to pollinate their $2 billion a year crop.

In some parts of China where bees no longer thrive, you can see workers up ladders, using paintbrushes to pollinate the fruit trees.

Everything in Nature has its place, and we don’t really know what would happen to the ecosystem if bees became extinct. But we do know that food prices would soar without them, due to lower yields and higher production costs.

So it’s critical that bee populations are safe and protected.

What’s Causing the Bee Problem?

Since about 2006, large quantities of bees have been simply abandoning their hives, never to return. It’s called Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD. We’re not totally sure what causes CCD but it’s probably a mixture of:

Climate Change – more extreme weather killing bees, combined with flowers blooming later or earlier than usual.

Pesticides and Parasites may also be affecting bees.

Habitat loss – more land for housing, crops and cattle means less natural habitat for bees.

What We Can Do

• If you have a garden, make sure it’s pollinator friendly (Google “bee friendly garden” for ideas).
• Educate your children and grandchildren about the importance of bees
• Encourage beekeeping
• Buy organic food because it’s grown with fewer pesticides
• Support farmers who use crop rotation (to provide a healthy variety of food for bees)  and leave sections of their farms as open habitat for bees
• Eat less meat so that less land is given over to raising cattle (see Meatless Mondays).

Please spread the word about bees – Share this article with your friends (buttons below) – thank you!