It’s hard for many of us to comprehend how important the bee is. In fact, many people still regard these important pollinators as pests and are fearful of them. They think that bees they come across are going to sting them, without realizing that most bees will only sting as a last resort. This is because bees know that once they sting they are going to die.
Unlike wasps, most bees cannot repeatedly sting. This is because they have a barbed stinger that imbeds itself in the victim. When the bee flies away, the stinger is ripped from the body of the bee, taking much of the abdomen with it. The bee is unable to recover from these injuries and will shortly die. So you see, a bee will never sting for the heck of it. It will only do so in order to protect the hive from a perceived threat.
Why are Bees so Critical to Humans?
If you see a bee in or around your home, it is likely looking for a source of food. During the spring and summer months, bees are sent from the hive to search for pollen and nectar, which they then take back to the hive. As they move from one flower to another, pollen from male plants sticks to their bodies and is then deposited in the female flower of the same species, thus helping to pollinate it. Without the bee or another pollinating insect, pollination would not happen and the plant would die.
When plants die off, the animals that feed on them will die off too. This includes humans. Humans depend on bees to pollinate much of the crops that they eat, and it would simply be too expensive and too inconvenient to try to replace the work of the bee with other methods. Bees pollinate billions of dollars in crops annually.
Why and How Should We Save Bees?
Now that you know how important bees are, you may be interested to know that they are in decline. Work is being done to save these vital pollinators though, and the US government has indeed just approved a new vaccine to help prevent one of the deadliest diseases that affects honeybee colonies each year.
But it is not just disease that affects our bees. Climate change, habitat loss and pesticide use are also contributing to the global decline of bee species. So, what can you do about it.
Some companies, such as Project Honey Bees, are doing excellent work to fund research and to help with bee conservation. Project Honey Bees sell a range of bee-inspired jewelry, with money from sales of every pair of bee earrings or oter bee jewlery equating to one bee adoption.
Individuals who are worried about the decline of the bee can do their bit by reducing their carbon footprint in order to tackle climate change. This could include recycling more and cutting out use of single-use plastic. Some people also make bee-friendly gardens, which are helping to ensure that wild bees have a place to nest.
Conclusion
If you have heard of the importance of the bee, you might be wondering what makes it so vital. You may then be surprised to find out that the bee is actually an intricate part of the global food chain, and, without it, many plants and animals would die. Some experts believe that if there were no bees in the world, millions of humans would also die.
Saving the bees is therefore crucial. You can do your bit by helping to fund research and conservation and by minimizing your impact on the environment.