Stop Killing Bees! Our Lives Depend On It!
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There have been a lot of apocalyptic buzzwords floating around the web-o-sphere these days. Terms like global warming, bird flu, and weapons of mass destruction are enough to make any one cringe.
But there is a very common cause, of environmental problems, that is destroying our planet.
Pesticides.
More specifically, killing bee’s and wasps with pesticides.
Take a moment and imagine, if you will, a world without bees.
Now you may be thinking to yourself, “Yeah what’s the big deal with bees? Why do I care if they all die? They sting me and torment my dog”.
Well maybe that’s just my dog (bees love to sting him for some reason), but that is beside the point.
You may not realize this but bees are a large reason that we are alive today
Bees are responsible for about 30% of the United States food supply.
Think for a moment how many things are pollinated by bees. Oranges, apples, watermelon strawberries and pears just to name a few. Ok so you think “that’s ok I can still eat meat”. Unfortunately the other vegetation that would be largely affected is alfalfa. The very same alfalfa that feeds the cattle America consumes.
No bees = 30% less crops = less food all around
With people starving as it is, and resources becoming more and more fleeting and valuable. I’d say its time to leave our bees and wasps alone.
Scientists Are Baffled By The Decrease In The Honeybee Population
The honeybee population has dwindled to nearly 50% of what it was just 50 years ago. Billions of bee’s, an essential part of our ecosystem, completely wiped out! 50% of their population destroyed since 1958!
The contributing factors?
Mite’s: The Bee’s Natural Enemy
- THE VARROA MITE atttacks the larvae killing bee’s before they are born.
- TRACHEAL MITES can wipe out an entire hive in just a few hours by attacking the respiratory systems of adult honeybees
Factor #2: Chemical Pesticides
This one WE can control. Even if not directly sprayed on a hive, the porus material can soak up all sorts of rotten chemicals. Bee’s are fragile as it is, and their immune systems have no ability to fight chemicals pesticides.
One more reason to go organic and stop using stuff that kills nature.
Just say no to chemical killers.
There are plenty of ways to ward off unwanted insects without killing them We will be discussing them in future posts.
The next time you are outside enjoying a picnic and a honeybee stops by to say hello, before you swat him away think about how much your life depends on his.
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“Colony collapse” has had be freaked out for some time now. I think it was Einstein that said when the bees die, humans have about 4 years left. I sure hope they can survive this.
Hi Amy,
I agree it is very scary to think about a world without bees. We depend on them so much but many people just don’t realize how important they truly are.
Great thoughts, but a serious correction. Alfalfa is not pollinated by honeybees. Alfalfa and clover can only be pollinated by bumblebees and solitary bees, in the industry usually leafcutter bees. The flowers have a trigger that hits honeybees in the head, disallowing them to either collect nectar or pollinate. Bumblebees are too large to be affected, and leafcutters are small enough to avoid the booby trap.
I do very much agree. Bees are important.
Hi Leo Z
Thank you for participating and for bringing my attention to my error. I found a lot of my information from a Time magazine article that can be found at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1552024,00.html. I trusted it as a reliable source.
However, I did do a bit more research: I found that alfalfa is pollinated by two different types of bees the Alkali bees and the Leafcutter bees which are both solitary bees as you mentioned. These bees are facing the same danger from mites and pesticides as the honeybee.
I apologize for my error.
Thanks for participating and I hope to see you again.
For more information please visit the National Biological Information Infrastructure at http://pollinators.nbii.gov/portal/community/Communities/Ecological_Topics/Pollinators/Pollinator_Species/Invertebrates/Bees_and_Wasps/
the chemicals that are being sprayed globally at high altitudes to manipulate the weather may have something to do with it…
Bee eat (deadly to insects) BT corn dust.
http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/HoneybeeCorn02.jpg
now that you mention it… i do not remember any bee around my house in the last… 3 years.
If you are going to write about bees, please use a picture of a bee and not a yellow jacket, which is a wasp. It is this careless confusion that leads many to think that they are being bothered by honey bees rather than wasps.
put pressure on shows like a&e’s exterminators. they kill honeybees.
it’s a crime! plus get the picture right…..a picture of a wasp? cmon!
put pressure on shows like a&e’s exterminators. they kill honeybees.
it’s a crime! plus, get the picture right…..a picture of a wasp? cmon!
Hello webmaster
I would like to share with you a link to your site
write me here preonrelt@mail.ru
is it possible our communications technology interferes with bees communications?
I would like to make a distinction here. I like honey bees. I have raised leaf cutter bees. Bumbles bees are getting rare. Hornets normally don’t bother me they usually keep to themselves. The only good wasp is a dead one. If I see one Im going to do everything possible to KILL it and any of its friends!
Alfalfa and clover can only be pollinated by bumblebees and solitary bees, in the industry usually leafcutter bees. The flowers have a trigger that hits honeybees in the head, disallowing them to either collect nectar or pollinate.
“Colony collapse” has had be freaked out for some time now. I think it was Einstein that said when the bees die, humans have about 4 years left. I sure hope they can survive this.
“Bees are responsible for about 30% of the United States food supply.” = > that is impressive.
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I love to Kill them, they sting a lot. ehehehe
i dont have a problem with honey bees but i have ALOT of wasps and burrowing bees(did i spell it right? its prounounced burro bees here in appalachia) i would like to find a way just to make them go away i dont want to kill them just make them go away. i have holes all over the outside of my house because of the burro bees and i think the wasps have some kind of vendetta against us. my kids wont even go outside if the see one.
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My favourite song! Hey! Hai! La-la-la! Wonder why? La-la-la! Just for fun! La-la-la! Feel the beat! La-la-la!
I live in a small apt building and there are beesaround suddenly. Everyone wants to kill them. They only come out at like 5AM and you don’t see them after that. They aren’t doing anyting to harm anyone. I asked everyone if they’d been stung by a bee and nobody could say they had been. Nobody has been harmed and yet everyone wants to kill them. It is very sad that people are afraid of little bees. I walk right next to them every morning on my walk and they don’t want to bother me. They just want to live and pollenate stuff that we like. I’m so tired of people wanting to kill bees. If you haven’t ever been stung.. please don’t kill bees. We really need bees.
At first I was thinking Its a joke but i realize the consequences will happen without bee. 30% is really a big deal for us.
There are some summaries of the findings of research into the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on bees;
http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/missingbees.html
Also – most of us can do something to help bees – 10 simple things here:
http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/save-the-bees.html
Amanda