Honey bees are in danger.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – This May, the Bee Informed Partnership did the annual survey regarding the situation of the beehives in America. It’s been a few years since the number of bees has started to drop off very quickly. Scientists don’t know yet why so many bees are dying.
Furthermore, things don’t look better this year as the American beekeepers lost from April 2015 to April 2016 around 44 percent of their beehives, which means almost half of them. If the situation doesn’t improve until the next year, then all of their bees could die.
Last year, the statistics showed that beekeepers lost 40.6 percent of their hives. Plus, every year the bees died in summer when they are most active. In 2015, there was an increase of 28.1 percent of colony losses, equal to the rate during winter.
According to the director of the Bee Informed Partnership and entomologist at the University of Maryland, Dennis van Engelsdorp, it is okay to have some losses during the winter, but it is very unusual and disturbing to lose so many bees in the summer when they are supposed to thrive.
Bees are not only famous for their honey, but they also play a crucial role in the ecosystem as the pollinate vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Moreover, there are some types of crops, such as almonds which exclusively rely on honey bees.
According to a report from the White House, the U.S. economy makes $15 billion thanks to the honey bees’ contribution, stating another important reason why they should be protected. Plus, bees and other pollinators cover 35 percent of the world’s crops, meaning $577 billion.
However, one of the reasons why bees are dying might be the varroa mite, a deadly pest which spreads in the colonies. Not only pesticides but other modern methods are used by farmers to stop this pest. Another reason might be the diesel fumes which can lead bees to confusion, making it almost impossible for them to find any food.
Africanized killer bees might be another reason as they invaded the Southern California hives and started to move north. Scientists are doing their best to try and find the perfect method to make sure that the honey bees will be protected, and hopefully they will thrive again.
Image Source:Wikipedia
The following two tabs change content below.