Pollination is an essential process for plant reproduction, on which not only the life of various plant species depends, but also biodiversity in general, including humans. Thanks to this process it is possible to produce a significant number of food crops on the planet. However, the alarms have been going off for years because the small, but valuable, insects that are responsible for carrying it out have been progressively decreasing over time. Let's talk about bees.
We invite you to continue reading this article on our site to learn about bees in danger of extinction, thethreats they face and what to do about it.
Why are bees in danger of extinction?
Bees are in danger of extinction and have suffered a significant decline due to several factors that come together and end up affecting these insects. In this way, it is not a single cause in particular that influences this problem, so let us know what are the causes of the disappearance of bees:
Diseases
Bee he alth has been affected by the indiscriminate use of toxic compounds, which has caused them to become more sensitive, so in many cases it is difficult for them to resist diseases and they become more vulnerable.
Globally, there are two parasites that seriously affect these insects On the one hand, we find a type of invasive mite that belongs to the species Varroa destructor and, on the other, a fungus that is capable of increasing susceptibility to certain pesticides, killing entire hills of bees. Additionally, it is estimated that other pathogens and viruses may also be making these animals sick.
Poor nutrition
The nutritional status of bees has been altered in recent times, probably due to the excess of chemicals used in the plants they feed on, which ends up affecting the quality of food that insects take, which ultimately translates into a nutritional impact on the animal.
Industrial agriculture
Another danger faced by bees is industrial agriculture. In this case, we are facing a multiple cause, since industrial agriculture is related to the danger to bees in various ways. In principle, we can mention the destruction of natural habitats where the various species of bees develop to transform them into cultivated ecosystems, heavily intervened, which produce great harmful effects on these insects.
On the other hand, by controlling the plant diversity that grows in these spaces, mostly monocultures are generated, so that the different species of plants are considerably restricted for the he althy and appropriate development of bees.
Finally, with the modification of the habitat due to the above, the possibility of nesting of these insects is increasingly limited, which significantly affects its reproduction and development. If you are interested in this topic, in this other article we explain how bees reproduce.
Use of insecticides and herbicides
The use of chemicals such as insecticides and herbicides is, without a doubt, one of the main causes of mass death not only of bees but of natural pollinators around the world in general. Chemical compounds of this type have been developed that not only remain outside the plants, but also penetrate their tissues and are maintained over time in the cycles development and production of plants, including pollen and nectar, which are the bees' food sources, which ends up affecting the he alth of insects.
Pollution
Increased air pollution makes it difficult for bees to locate plants where they feed and eventually pollinate because these chemical compounds mask the smell of flowers and bees can't perceive them as before.
Climate change
Finally, we can mention that the ravages of climate change by modifying temperatures, the pace of rainfall and the growing development of extreme weather events also have a negative impact on bee populations.
What if the bees go extinct?
Bees are one of the main insects responsible for the entomophilous pollination process, a service provided by these animals within natural ecosystems and in those known as agroecosystems, used in various crops of global interest for Humans. In this way, if the bees become extinct, on the one hand, crop production would be drastically reduced, such as fruit trees and vegetables, in which these insects are involved.
On the other hand, we can also mention that bees pollinate various wild plants, essential within the food webs of ecosystems and on which other species depend. Therefore, if there is no pollination of these plants, there would be a significant reduction in plant diversity
The disappearance of bees would pose a serious problem for our diet, as well as for the stability of various natural habitats in which animal and plant species develop in a complex network of interdependent relationships.
Plants of social interest pollinated by bees
Some of the plants that bees, among other insects, pollinate and that form part of our diet and life are:
- Kiwi
- Dad
- Onion
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Brussels sprouts
- NonBeans
- Paprika or peppers
- Papaya
- Chestnuts
- Orange
- Watermelon
- Mandarin
- Cantaloupe
- Medlar
- Lemon
- Pumpkin
- Strawberry
- Cotton
- Apple
Most Endangered Bees
Wild species of bees are the ones that have generated the greatest alert, since although those that produce honey in certain regions are in danger of extinction, on a global scale there are still important populations. However, this does not mean that they may not be at risk of disappearing in the future.
Among the species of bees in danger of extinction we can mention:
- Honey bee (Apis melifera)
- Red mason bee (Osmia bicornis)
- Red-legged cutter bee (Bombus ruderarius)
- Screeching Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum)
- Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinndus)
- Bees of the genus Hylaeus (specifically those with yellow faces)
As we can see, it is mostly the pollinating bees that are in danger of extinction, something really worrying.
How to help endangered bees?
Among the actions we can take to avoid the extinction of bees we have:
- Transform current industrial farming systems to a type of organic farming.
- Significantly restrict the use of agrochemicals.
- Minimize the use of insecticides at the domestic and industrial level.
- Change monocultures for diversely cultivated spaces.
- Stop destroying the natural spaces where bees nest.
- Reforest in a controlled way areas where bees developed naturally.
- Increase research and education projects for the benefit of bee development and conservation.
- Disseminate massively the current conservation status of bees, the causes of their impact and their global importance.
