The Plight of Bees

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The Apis Mellifera, or honey bee, have survived on this planet for fifty million years. This species of bee is responsible for pollinating flowers, grass, trees and crops around the world. Much of the food we eat is dependent on honey bees for pollination. Our ecosystem depends on the survival of the honey bee. Colonies of honeybees have been disappearing at an alarming rate around the world due to parasites, viral and bacterial diseases, and the introduction of pesticides and herbicides. Over the past six years, on average, 30 percent of all the honey bee colonies in the U.S. died off over the winter of 2012(NPR/TED). If this trend continues to spiral downward, honey bees will disappear from the world. We must understand the importance of the Honey bee and change our environmental practices in order to sustain this vital insect. Just how important are honey bees to the ecosystem? Typically, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Honeybees pollinate eighty percent of our crops, or about a third of our diet. Honeybees cross-pollinate different plant species, by carrying pollen, which it uses to spread throughout an area of flowers. On a larger scale, one bee colony is able to pollinate 300 million flowers each day (Greenpeace). Grains, like rice and wheat, are primarily populated by wind, however, the healthiest foods, such as fruit, vegetables and nuts are pollinated by bees. In order for humankind to grow the honeybees must be able to live. By pollinating flowers, the honey bee produces honey, a vital product that we humans use every day as a form of food, medicine, and beauty products. Honey is highly nutritious; it has several vitamins and minerals including antioxidants that delay ageing (Kumar). In the U.S. a... ... middle of paper ... ...ampath. "Medicinal Uses and Health Benefits of Honey: An Overview." Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research 2.1 (2010): 385-95. Web. . Lawrence, Timothy, and Walter S. Sheppard. "Neonicotinoid Pesticides and Honey Bees." Cru.cahe.wsu.edu. Washington State University, Nov. 2013. Web. "Neonicotinoid Pesticides Are a Huge Risk – so Ban Is Welcome, Says EEA."European Environment Agency (EEA). European Environment Agency, n.d. Web. "Related Topics." ARS : Honey Bees and Colony Collapse Disorder. Department of Agriculture, 2 Dec. 2013. Web. Staff, NPR/TED. "Why Are Bees Disappearing?" NPR. NPR, 27 Sept. 2013. Web. The Bee Informed Team. "Winter Loss Survey 2012 – 2013: Preliminary Results."Bee Informed Partnership. National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, 2 May 2013. Web.

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