Earth Wise

Falling Bee Populations


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For many years, scientists have been sounding the alarm on the global
struggle of pollinators.  A reported 40%
of invertebrate pollinator species, including bees and butterflies, are facing
extinction. And since as much as three-quarters of the world’s food crops
depend on pollination, the decline of these pollinators poses a major threat to
global food security.

Pollinators aid in the production of all sorts of crops, including

coffee, cacao, cotton, apples, and almonds – to name a few.  The global value of crops requiring
pollination ranges from $235-$577 billion annually.

Honey bees are among the struggling pollinators.  Over the past 15 years, bee colonies have

been disappearing at an alarming rate in what is known as the “colony collapse
disorder.”  Some regions have seen losses
of up to 90%. 

In the United States, managed honey bee populations declined by nearly

40% over this past winter, the largest such winter decline since surveying
began in 2006.

In recent months, mass honey bee declines have also been reported in Russia, according to the BBC.  Russia, which produces a whopping 110,000 tons of honey annually, expects that figure to drop by as much as 20%.  The widespread bee decline is likely to not only push up honey prices, but the prices of other popular foods as well.  Many staple food crops in Russia, including sunflowers, buckwheat, and fruit trees, rely on bees for pollination.

Experts have blamed the bee decline crisis on a combination of

factors, including pesticides (most notably neonicotinoids), varroa mites, and
climate change.   

Bees play a vital role in food production, and their continued decline

will have devastating consequences. 

**********

Web Links

Russia alarmed by large fall in bee populations

Photo, posted July 28, 2019, courtesy of Ivan Radic via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

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Earth WiseBy Randy Simon

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