Bees in Danger
Extinction Level Event
Effective pollination improves fruit size, uniformity, and overall harvest. Use these tools to plan planting density and estimate production.
Bees and other pollinators play a foundational role in global food production and ecosystem health. From backyard gardens to commercial farms, pollination directly influences fruit set, crop quality, and overall yield for many of the foods people depend on every day.
Yet pollinator populations are under increasing pressure. Habitat loss, pesticide exposure, disease, parasites, and reduced floral diversity have contributed to widespread declines in both managed honeybees and native bee species. These stresses compound over time, weakening colonies and reducing their ability to recover.
This article explores the major drivers behind pollinator decline, why it matters for food security, and the practical steps growers, gardeners, and land managers can take to create bee-friendly systems that support healthy pollination.
Melittologists, experts in the area of bee conservation, believe that the use of herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals are responsible for a major portion of the decline in bee populations. Scientific studies have revealed that these man-made chemicals destroy a bee’s nervous system, making it difficult for them to navigate and communicate with other bees. To make matters worse, as the bee’s nervous system collapses, weakening their immune system making them more susceptible to diseases, like Varroosis or American Foulbrood, for example.
The destruction of habitat reduces bee population by anther 10%. The health of a bee colony depends on the availability to many types of flowers. People who study bees have determined that a single bee foraging for 5 hours needs to collect pollen from 30 different types of flowers that day to maintain the health of the bee colony. The single variety plantings that line city streets and populate yards and gardens are simply no replacement.
The introduction of non-native bee species has had unintended consequences to native species like the honeybee. Bees like the Africanized honeybee are extremely aggressive and out compete native honeybees for territory and resources and are nowhere near as good as native honeybees at pollination. Alarmingly, one you introduce a foreign species into a virgin environment, there is no way to put the genie back in the bottle. Scientists predict that non-native bee species will replace the native honeybee in 30 years.
We lose 1% of the native bee population each year due to disease outbreaks within the hive. Varroa is one of the worst, feeding on the blood of bees, eventual killing them and every bee they come into contact with. Varroa can wipe out a hive in just 3 weeks. Chaulkbrood is also becoming more common, particuarily in rental hives. Chaulkbrood turns larvae into chalk-like mummies instead of healthy pupae.
The declining bee populations have significant consequences for our environment and our food supply. Without bees, plants would simply not be pollinated, leading to reduced crop yields and potentially even crop failure. Many scientists worry that we are witnessing an extinction event as the phenomena of colony collapse accelerates. Worried farmers are turning to alternative pollination methods, such as mobile pollinating farms or even hand-pollination, to pollinate plants.
Einstein one famously said, If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live. Although this may not be entirely factual, it would significantly reduce the planet’s food supply. Today’s scientists worry that we are witnessing an extinction event that no one is prepared for. Both gardeners and farmers alike, are worried about the future of their farms and gardens. Efforts are underway, to replace bees with solar powered robotic pollinators.
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Bees and other pollinators help many flowering plants reproduce by moving pollen between flowers. This process supports the production of numerous fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and also helps maintain plant diversity in natural ecosystems. Not every crop depends on animal pollination, but pollinators are important to many agricultural and ecological systems.
Pollinators can be affected by several interacting pressures, including habitat loss, reduced flower diversity, pesticide exposure, parasites, pathogens, invasive species and changing weather patterns. The importance of each pressure varies among species and regions, so pollinator decline generally cannot be attributed to a single cause.
Habitat loss can reduce the availability of flowers, nesting sites, shelter and continuous forage throughout the growing season. Gardens, farms and landscapes that provide a variety of flowering plants and relatively undisturbed habitat can help create additional feeding and nesting opportunities for bees and other pollinators.
Some pesticides can harm bees through direct exposure or residues on flowers and other plant surfaces. Risk depends on the active ingredient, formulation, application rate, timing and the level of pollinator exposure. Growers can reduce risk by following label directions, using integrated pest management and avoiding applications to blooming plants while bees are actively foraging when the product label and pest-management situation allow.
Managed honeybee colonies can be affected by parasites and diseases, including Varroa mites and several viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens. Varroa mites are an especially important management concern because they weaken honeybees and can transmit viruses within colonies. Colony health is influenced by the combined effects of nutrition, parasite pressure, disease, environment and management.
Choose a diverse group of flowering plants that are appropriate for your climate and provide blooms at different times of year. Native and regionally adapted plants can be particularly valuable because local pollinators may already be associated with them. Combining different flower shapes, heights and blooming periods can provide forage for a broader range of pollinating insects.
Yes. Many native bee species nest in the ground, while others use hollow stems, cavities or existing holes in wood. Leaving some undisturbed soil, plant stems, natural vegetation and other suitable habitat can provide nesting opportunities. Habitat needs vary considerably among bee species, so a diverse landscape generally supports more types of pollinators.
No. Managed honeybees are important pollinators for many crops, but native bees, bumble bees, flies, butterflies, moths, beetles and other animals also contribute to pollination. Different pollinators vary in their behavior, active seasons and preferred flowers, which is one reason diverse habitat can be valuable around farms and gardens.
In many situations, pollinator habitat can be incorporated along field edges, hedgerows, irrigation corridors, buffer areas, pathways and other spaces that are not used for primary crop production. Flowering cover crops and carefully selected companion plants can also provide forage within productive systems when they are compatible with crop management.
Crop Circle Farm layouts can incorporate flowering plants, insectary strips, permanent habitat areas and seasonal cover crops around or between productive growing zones. Ringed planting areas can also be managed so different species flower at different times, helping provide a longer period of forage while maintaining practical access for irrigation, crop care and harvesting.