Overcoming the Threats to Honeybees

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Introduction

Did you know, that one of every three bites of the food eaten worldwide, depends on pollinators, especially bees, for a successful harvest? These small and hard working insects actually make it possible for many of our favourite foods to reach our table. In addition, Honeybees are known to be the most important insect/pollinator that transfers pollen between flowers and plants, and the word “pollination” is used to describe the service of providing bees to pollinate crop plants. However, under the condition of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD: honeybee decline) which is increasing each year, honeybees and other pollinators are in sharp declines across the United States and all around the world. Beekeepers were first alarmed about the mysteriously disappearing bees in the United States during 2006, when healthy bees were leaving their colonies in search of pollen and nectar, however never returning back to their hives. From then, this large ongoing decline in the bee population has been continuously leading to different threats, having a great impact on social/society issues, raising concerns relating to possible risks of global food security, and on the economy, where agriculture takes up a large portion of the economy. Therefore, in order to overcome these various threats, there has been many previous and recent studies/experiments, and the three solutions that science have concluded to solve the problem of these issues are: 1. Ban the seven most dangerous pesticides 2. Protect pollinator health by preserving wild habitat 3. Restore ecological agriculture(ref.).

Apples, broccoli, celery, squash, cucumbers, nuts, citrus fruit, peaches, kiwi, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, and many more ar...

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...nator health by preserving wild habitat 3. Restore ecological agriculture(ref.) through several bee decline contributing factors, and are still in the process of investigating the effectiveness. Pollination plays a significant role in the food production process for notably fruits and certain vegetables, and bees including other pollinators provide beneficial services to the ecosystem, human nutrition, health and wellbeing. There are currently many participation in campaigns, investigations, studies, advertisement, and clubs to help save the bees, and raise awareness. "Honeybees are the modern canary in the coal mine, and they have a very important message to impart to our planet; they are telling us that we are out of sync with nature and that we need to come together for the greater good of Mother Earth and be the change we want to see.” - Director Maryam Henein

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