Mass Bee Deaths - Essay Sample

Introduction

Bees are small flying insects which have been known for their ability to make honey and its stinging nature as a defense mechanism. Bees exists in many species, it is indicated that the species of bees are over 20,000 worldwide but in the United Kingdom there 270 bee species which have been put in records ("Friends of The Earth"). Bees have been made with different adaptation characteristics which enables them to be perfect pollinators and the leading pollinators globally.

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The existence of bees adds beauty to the environment since they are fascinating insects with a diverse role in the environment. Bees are responsible for pollination. Without pollination, many crops could not be in existence; this brings our attention to the fact that bees are paramount for the propagation of various crops ("Friends of The Earth"). Most of the food that we consume is pollinated by bees; the research has indicated that one out three meals we eat daily have been pollinated by insects. In Europe, more than 80% of the flowers are pollinated by bees; hence bees are necessary for their existence. In China, the southern part where Apple is being grown, a large tract of land have been cleared destroying the habitat of the bees hence need to carry out pollination manually thus incurring a lot of money (Ingraham).

Bees have been known to be a source of income to many farmers globally, and they rely on the sale of honey and hiring of beehives to farmers who need bees for pollination of their crops. Doan, a bee farmer in the United States, maintains that for years, he has been earning his living through beekeeping and he puts it forward that through beekeeping he could earn between $65,000 to $70,000 yearly hence earning his living (Morris).

Despite the importance of bees, for the last 20 years, the number of bees globally have been in decline due to the alarming rate of their deaths, as Doan puts it that in 2006, he had 5,600 hives, but surprisingly 600 of them were empty due to the death of bees (Morris). The rising cases of bee's death have been linked to various causes. According to the research conducted it has been established that a major contributor to bee's deaths is the insecticides used in farming. Neonicotinoids are a major cause of bee's death when the bees when bees come in contact with the plants which has been treated with the Neonicotinoids they die. Initially, Doan was not in agreement that this insecticide is the one responsible for the death of his bees as he wasn't growing any plants with the insecticides in his farm, but the results from research indicated that seeds could be treated at a different place and planted by farmers near his firm thus affecting hid bees.

The changing climate, it is reported that the temperatures of the United States have been in rising due to global warming, this has destroyed the habitat of bees thus resulting in their deaths (Mcdonnell). Bumblebee species have been adversely affected by the decline of certain plant species which they have depended on for food hence their death. Some species of bees have been created to feed on specific types of plants; hence the decline of those plants means the decline of bees.

The changing farming techniques have also contributed significantly to the death of bees. Monoculture farming which encourages plating of a single crop has benefit to farmers, but it has a negative impact on bees. Growing one crop means that you are eliminating crop which specific species of bees rely on for food hence causing their death due to lack of food.

As a result of the rising cases of bee's deaths, there are various mechanisms which have been put in place in trying to curb this menace. In 2013, the European Union issued a ban of some neonic insecticide after they were fully convinced that they are causing the death of bees (Morris). In America, John and Earl introduced a bill in 2013 seeking to take neonic off the market as they adversely affect bees. To reduce the death of bees, Obama introduced a program aiming to reduce the death of bees by ensuring that the habitat for bees is created, that is by planting various tree species at 7 million acres of land.

The death of bees has hurt both plants and human beings. Some bees have been created to pollinate specific species of plants. Hence their death means that the plants won't be pollinated therefore leading to their decline in number. Farmers who have been relying on the bees as their source of income have experienced loss as the number of bees is declining hence honey produced is in decline too thus causing loss to the farmers, as Doan records, the number of his beehive been in decline for years and by 2008 he had only 275 hives from 5,600 in 2006 (Morris).

Conclusion

In conclusion, bees are very crucial in the ecosystem, and their absence affects the beauty of the environment. It has been revealed that more than 80% of flowers in the UK are pollinated by insects. Hence their absence means flowers won't be in existence hence reduced environmental beauty. The food we eat is as a result of the pollination from bees thus proving to be important insects for our diet.

Works Cited

"Friends of The Earth." 2017, Retrieved from, https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/why-do-we-need-bees. Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Mcdonnell, Tim. "Mother Jones." Here's Why All the Bees Are Dying, 2015, Retrieved from, https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/07/climate-change-killing-bumblebees/. Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Morris, Alex. "Rolling Stone." What Is Killing America'S Bees And What Does It Mean For Us?, 2015, Retrieved from, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/what-is-killing-americas-bees-and-what-does-it-mean-for-us-41456/. Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Ingraham, Christopher. "The Washington Post." Believe It or Not the Bees Are Just Fine, 2016, Retrieved from, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/10/10/believe-it-or-not-the-bees-are-doing-just-fine/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7c9ee1452973. Accessed 10 Apr 2019.