What’s the Buzz About Bees?

by Anthony Pascarella

It is mid-July. The day is sunny and warm. The rain clouds from last night have given way to bright, pearly white clouds hanging against a backdrop of pale blue. They cast dappled shadows over a field of luscious green grass that butts up against a cop of bushy trees. Flowers of red and white and golden yellow poke up here and there, as if reaching out for the rays of the sun shining from high above. There’s a faint thrum in the air, a gentle buzz, and a plump bumblebee drifts lazily by, making her way towards one of the flower petals nearby. She lands, her weight causing the flower to bob on its stem. She pays it no mind, however, instead busying herself with extracting the rich, sweet nectar hidden deep within the colored petals. As she works, a golden dust gathers on the fine hairs of her legs and striped body. Pollen. Once she has collected her fill of the sugary liquid, she moves on to the next flower, carrying the coat of pollen with her. Without knowing it, this little bee propagates the next generation of flowers.

About 80% of flowering plants rely on bees and other pollinators to reproduce. According to the U.S. Agriculture Department, “pollinators are responsible for one of every three bites of food we take.” There are many types of pollinators, from birds to butterflies and even bats or beetles. However, the most common pollinators by far are bees. Some crops, such as blueberries, almonds and cherries, rely solely on bees to bring forth their future generations. Even if bee pollination is not necessary for the staple crops of our diets, such as wheat, corn and rice (these plants are all pollinated by the wind), these little powerhouses ensure that we have the wide variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts we need in our diets. With over 4,000 species, bee populations in the United States are so important to crop production that commercial farmers have domesticated countless colonies to harness their unmatched pollinating capabilities. Honeybees are the most commonly domesticated hives since they not only pollinate crops, but also produce both honey and wax. They contribute almost $20 billion to the production of U.S. crops by increasing yields and crop quality across the country.

But bee colonies around the world are under threat. Since the turn of the century, bee populations have steadily declined. During the winter, the losses can reach up to 40%, resulting in a devastated hive come spring. This threat has perplexed scientists for years, but they have managed to isolate a few potential factors that can lead to the loss of honeybees. One of the most pressing dangers comes in the form of a tiny pest known as the Varroa mite. As its full name of Varroa destructor suggests, these little insects “latch onto honeybees and suck their fat body tissue, stunting and weakening them.” This strains the bees’ immune systems while also leaving open wounds exposed, both of which make the victims extremely vulnerable to viruses and other diseases, often resulting in death. Varroa mites are so dangerous to honeybee colonies that they are thought to be one of the leading causes of the mysterious phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder. Commonly referred to as CCD, this bizarre event mystifies scientists since there seems to be no trace as to what happened to the bees. What is even more bewildering is that the queen is left behind with only a few nurse bees and some young larvae. The rest of the colony simply appears to have vanished.

Many scientists believe that once Varroa mites begin to infect the bees of a colony, the workers will do anything they can to remove the infestation, even if it means they themselves must flee their home. If the infestation is bad enough, the majority of the worker bees may flee the hive, believing they are doing their best to protect their queen. What is left is the broken remnants of a once-thriving colony, no longer able to sustain itself or pollinate any crops. However, mites and pathogens are not the only threats that bees face. Climate change and habitat destruction both contribute to the loss of pollinator species. Changing rainfall patterns, rapid shifts in temperature and shrinking native habitats all put a heavy strain on bee populations. Bees are surprisingly resilient to stress, but there comes a point where the extent of change overwhelms even the most adaptable of species. In order to survive and thrive, bees require a varied selection of plants to gather the nutrition their hive needs to function. With the number of single-crop farmlands steadily increasing, this diversity is lost, resulting in weaker colonies that are more vulnerable to threats. Even in farms with a mix of crops, bees often fall prey to the use of pesticides and other pest deterrents. Insecticides are meant to eradicate insect parasites that feed on crops, but they also inadvertently affect the very bees necessary for the health of the plants. Even if the pesticides do not directly kill bees, the poison weakens their immune systems, making the hive more vulnerable to the attacks of mites and other diseases. 

Helping to preserve bee populations may seem like a distant cause. After all, why care about pollinators when food just shows up in grocery stores down the road? However, without bees, our selection of food will begin to dwindle. It would be gradual at first, but over the course of a few years, some of the staple fruits, vegetables and nuts that we take for granted now will become much rarer and more expensive. Besides, helping your local bees is easier than you might think. It all starts with habitats. Bee gardens are a green, aesthetically pleasing method to help both bee colonies and your own plants. In your bee garden, avoid planting hybrid flowers, as these may be sterile or have little nectar to attract bees. Also, try to cluster flowers in patches, as bees like to focus on one group of flowers at a time. Even by planting a small garden, you will give bees some of the much-needed variety to help their colonies thrive. If you are feeling especially crafty, you could create a “bee bath” by filling a shallow bird bath with water and placing small pebbles or stones in it so they poke out of the water, giving bees a place to perch while they get a drink or take a break from pollinating. 

Bees are magnificent creatures, not to mention that they are vastly important to our agricultural economy. A loss of bee populations would not lead directly to widespread starvation amongst humans, but our crop production would take a major hit. Even if the decline in bees does not immediately affect us, it will mark the beginning of the loss of other pollinators that we unwittingly rely on to provide us our food. Helping bee colonies does not have to be a chore, though. It can be as simple as planting a small garden with flowers rich in nectar to entice bees to pollinate. After all, it is the least we can do to pay back our little striped neighbors who carry the weight of our agricultural economy on their fuzzy backs.