Bees Under Threat

Albert Einstein once said that when the bees are gone, mankind would have no more than four more years left on the planet. This might seem a little melodramatic, however there is truth in this, and bees play a critical role in our lives, even though we don’t often see them.

It is estimated that as much as 30% of the food that we eat comes from foods that have been pollinated by bees, so it looks like Einstein may have been right, and the collapse of bee populations will mean catastrophe, especially in regions where food is scarce.

What is there to worry about, bees are alrigh,t right? Wrong. Bee populations are facing serious losses in recent years, and for several reasons, many of them thought to have human causes. 2009, for example, saw a loss of up to a third of pre-existing bee colonies.

Whilst disaster is imminent, it’s been difficult for scientists to pin down exact  reasons for the degradations of population, however it seems as though a parasite may be largely responsible. It is thought that the parasite has learnt to adapt to native honey bee species, and our native bees are unable to cope.

While there’s bees there’s hope. And even though we seem to be in the midst of a catastrophe there are things you can do to aid failing bee populations. For example, you could plant more flowers and especially fruit trees, or you could go a step further and keep beehives in your garden.

Bees are wonderful, and keeping bees is a great way not only to help ailing populations, but is also a fantastic hobby in its own right, and you will produce your very own honey, which has to be  bonus. Keeping bees doesn’t have to be difficult, and beehives can vary in size, so even if you have little space to play with, you may still be able to enjoy these most important of creatures.

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