Honey Bees Are In Trouble Due To Human Activity

Honey bees have been pollinating plants for 150 millions of years. Bees pollinate flowers, fruits and vegatables to gather nector, in return they give us sweet honey, they also efficiently pollinate a third of the food we eat. This is the only incect that produces food for humans. Honey bee populations have been in decline, throughout several regions of the world. These conditions, can signify a major environmental imbalance; this can create major implications for our agricultural food supply. But is Human activity, as a result, creating a quagmire for the honey bees?

Our honey bees today are under an onslaught of several factors, that also include, pesticides and parasites. With more human impedance, this could possibly bring about, the elimination of honey bees. Scientists, beekeepers, and farmers alike are asking, is it true, are humans the cause, for the decline in the honey bee population,and their colonies? With the constant increasing use of pesticides, that play a very serious threat to the honey bees populations, and their colonies. Neonicotinoids (pesticide) are especially devastating to bees, and other pollinators. 'The world's most common class of agriculture pesticide, may also act as a bee contraceptive. Drone exposed to field-realistic concentration of neonicotinoids produced 39 percent less living sperm-and more often deliver 'dead sperm' to virgin queens. Too little healthy sperm can throw off the sex of the queen's offspring and leave the colony short of workers, weakening the hive. ' “While many laboratory studies and other studies applying artificial exposure conditions (Neonictinoids) described sublethal and other effects to bee colonies were ever observed in field studies at realistic exposure conditions.

Another recent casual analysis of US researchers likewise comes to the conclusion that neonicotinoids are unlikely to be a cause of honeybee colony losses”. 'Use of neonicotinoids has been curtailed in some places: The European Union implemented a full ban on three of these chemicals in early 2018, and Canada is working to phase them out '. Furthermore we will continue to move forward with our research, and education on pesticides on a global scale. We will strive, from here on to make every effort, and began to regain some of the damage humans have caused,with the abuse of pesticides. Along with parasites, such as the Varroa mite, a parasite, witch only lives in bee hives are creating havoc in bee hives, also known as colonies; consists of a queen, workers and drones. 'Bee keepers guard their honeybee colonies against a range of pests and diseases. These include the Varroa mite, a tiny parasitic mite that attaches itself to a honey bee. ' These mites feed off of the bee, thus weakening the honey bee. 'They are blood-sucking parasites that affect adult and young bees equally. The disease inflicted by these mites can result in bees legs or wings, essentially killing them”.

Although new findings have found enough evidence to reject conventional beliefs the Varroa mites are blood sucking. Subsequently high levels of fat was found in the digestive system of the mite, strongly suggest; Verroa mites are mainly feeding off of the bees fat, not blood. Furthermore, poor management practices has enabled the mites to spread throughout several different regions of the world. Many of these problems that are causing colony collapses, are created by human negligence. Is there sufficient evidence that claims we are hurting our honey bees on a global scale? Although regions of the earth has not been affected by some of these all allegations. Is the pesticide Neonicotinoids the only pesticide harming bees? “The definition of the term pesticide is so broad that it is almost meaningless. Neonicotinoids are just one class of insecticide. There are herbicides, fungicides, acaricides, miticides, rodenticides, and more. Even antibacterial soap or antibiotics can be thought of as pesticides”. But curiously, a field study funded by bayer and another leading pesticide manufacturer concluded that neonicotinoids do appear to have negative effects on the interannual reproductive potential of both wild and managed bees,” though the effect differed by country. This is not to say that neonicotinoids do not have adverse effects on pollinators nor that they haven't been linked to colony collapse disorder, but there are many other factors that are thought to be contributing to honey bee declines that banning neonicotinoids will not solve. Then the varroa mite researchers have discovered some bees can keep the mite in check through behaviors such as fastidious grooming and removing mite infested larvae.

Honey bees are one of our most important insects known to man. Beekeepers around the world are facing problems with the use of pesticides. The infestation of the Varroa mite in colonies can weaken bees and promote diseases. Adverse weather conditions and climate change has taken away a lot of bees natural habitat. Scientists around the world are studying the use of these pesticides. Agricultural industries especially are taking measures to reduce the harm done to bees. Beekeepers have noticed improvements in colonies in the past few years from the infestation of the verroa mite. With human impact, farmers, environmental Activists and government agencies across the globe have recognized the need to save the honey bees.

References

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