The Disappearing Honeybees
Although global
climate change has taken centre stage as the major threat to the future of our
planet and of the human species, there’s another and perhaps even more urgent
matter at hand: the disappearance of honeybees. This global phenomenon has been
noticed by beekeepers since 2006, when their honeybee populations started dying
off at increasingly rapid rates. In addition to consistent depopulation, there
have been increases in incidences of Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (HCCD),
in which there is rapid, unexpected and catastrophic loss of bees in a hive.
While governments and mainstream society initially ignored the beekeepers’
warning cries, recent scientific research has revealed the seriousness of the
problem and prompted those with authority to act immediately to thwart a global
crisis.
Researchers are
clear on the global extent of the problem, but more is known about some
countries and regions than others. In the United States, migratory beekeepers
have reported an annual 30 to 90 per cent loss in their colonies since 2006,
and non-migratory beekeepers an over 50 per cent annual loss. Similar rates of
depopulation have been reported in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and Central
and South America. And according to studies, the rate is only going to speed
up.
According to a
recent U.S. report, many factors are to blame for the honeybee population’s
demise. One is the shrinking of their natural habitats due to urban sprawl,
which is occurring not only in the U.S. but also across much of the developed
and developing world. Another factor is thought to be the increasing use of
pesticides and insecticides, and in particular one type of insecticide called
neonicotinoids. This chemical is poisonous to not only individual bees but to
entire colonies. If one bee takes contaminated nectar and pollen back to the
hive, it will create a toxic living environment for the whole colony. The
ultimate result of the toxicity is a destruction of the bees’ central nervous
systems, leaving them disoriented and unable to fly back to their hives.
A third probable
cause is the feeding of high-fructose corn syrup to honeybee colonies. In the
United States and some other countries, industrialised bee farms take the
maximum amount of honey from hives and leave nothing for the bees to eat during
the long winter months. Instead, they feed them high-fructose corn syrup that
results in nutrient deficiency and lowered immune systems. With
weaker-than-average immune systems, the bees are unable to fight off parasites
and viruses that they would normally not be affected by. This has had
catastrophic effects on honeybee populations where industrialised beekeeping is
a mainstay practice.
But the biggest
factor is thought to be a parasite called the Varroa destructor, which is a
type of mite. When the Varroa mite was first discovered in 1987, several large
chemical manufacturers took advantage of the opportunity to develop and sell
insecticides and herbicides to remedy the parasitic invasion. However, as
effective as the chemicals were, they had the side effect of weakening the
bees’ natural genetic defenses to the parasite. As people were not able to
exterminate the parasite as quickly as it spread, and since the bees were
increasingly vulnerable as a result of the insecticides and herbicides, the
Varroa mite has wipe out much of the North American honeybee population.
The extinction of
honeybees would ultimately mean the demise of humankind, something governments
are keenly aware of. Around one-third of the human diet is derived from insect-pollinated
plants, and honeybees are responsible for about 80 per cent of that
pollination. Thus, it’s no surprise that
governments are investing significant amounts of money and human resources into
solutions for the honeybee crisis.
One such solution
is to conserve land that can be used by bees for foraging. This also involves
banning the use of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides on the land. But
there isn’t enough available undeveloped land to set aside strictly for the
honeybees, and that’s why governments are simultaneously investing in programs
that train urban residents to become amateur beekeepers. Government funding is
also available to support urban beekeeping projects, and especially those that
collaborate with local urban gardens. Whether or not urban gardens stay natural
and pesticide-free can determine the success or failure of urban honeybee
colonies, something that bee experts are very concerned about. So fostering
partnerships between urban beekeepers and gardeners is a high priority.
But even if someone
doesn’t have the space or time to manage a garden, urban residents can help by
planting bee-attracting flowers on their balconies or in their yards. Tending
to flowers takes little time and the only associated costs are purchasing
seeds, soil, flowering pots and a few basic gardening tools. This means that
even people of lower socio-economic classes can be a part of the solution. A
few projects in Australia, Europe and North America even provide the plants
free of charge, leaving no excuse for urbanites to not take part in saving the
honeybees.