Honey Bees: The Essential Insects for Pollination & Human Food Supply - Essay Sample

Introduction

Honey bee refers to insects that are strictly related to wasps or even ants. The honey bees tend to live on nectar and pollen; thus, they have become essential in ensuring that pollination takes place. Researches conducted to rule out that a high population of human food supply depends on insect pollination. Bees tend to have a long, straw-like tongue, which we referred to as the probiscus and allows the bees to drink nectar from deep within the blossoms. The bees have two wings, an antenna, and three-segmented bodies, but they tend to live in colonies. The beekeepers and farmers in the US have reported a decline in honey bee colonies, which tend to be caused by a change in climatic conditions, habitat loss, and use of pesticides such as the neonicotinoids.

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What Causes a Decline in The Population of Honey Bee?

Habitat Loss

Changes in the environment, such as urban development, cause loss of pollinator-friendly habitats result in the bees losing food sources, and thus, they have to change their habitat position to look for a pleasant environment with fewer destructions and humans (Bicknell, 2018, 32). The intensive farming methods have resulted in the loss of flowers, trees, and habitats for the honey bees; thus, they have to change into a new habitat.

Climate Change

Changes in the environment, such as when the seasons shift into winter, disrupt the nesting behavior of the honey bees. Therefore, the bees need to move to a more favorable environment, which is the warm environment (Bicknell, 2018). When bees move to a new warm climate, they tend to be more active, and thus, they can easily make honey.

Pesticides

The use of pesticides, such as neonicotinoids, reduces the bees breeding success and resistance to diseases (Bicknell, 2018). When bees feed on neonicotinoids, mostly found on nectar in flowers, it affects their nervous systems, and thus, the bees will not be able to feed or even reproduce.

Pests and Diseases

The honey bees colonies tend to be attacked by a range of pests and diseases such as mites that attaches itself to the honey bees, and through that, it transmits diseases and saps the honey bee strengths (Sponsler & Johnson, 2016). The pests and diseases cause the spread of fungal infections to the honey bee colonies.

How the Decline in the Honeybee Population Affected Farmers in the United States?

A Decline in Overseas Agricultural Export

Due to the decline in honey bee population and widespread bee losses, which mostly refers to as "colony collapse disorder," it means that the bees have left their hives in search of better habitats. It has led to a decline in overseas agricultural export (Sponsler & Johnson, 2016). This is because, for the California almond trees to get pollinated, it requires around a considerable number of domesticated bee colonies to pollinate the flowering trees (Wright et al., 2018). This led the farmers to incur many losses and also produce less California Almond trees.

Reduced Food and Agricultural Products

The decline in honey bees number has led to a decrease in food and agricultural products. When bees pollinate the flowers, it causes the flowers to reproduce and produce end products, which are the food that is consumed worldwide by humans (Sponsler & Johnson, 2016). The honey bees contribute to global food production, and thus they are responsible for the supply of certain nutrients such as vitamins which are essential for growth and development

Reduced Honey production

The reduced population of the honey bee colonies has led to decreased honey production since most of the bees have abandoned their habitats. It makes many farmers face many losses at the market place, and thus, they have reduced income (Wright et al., 2018). Honey is marketable since it is essential for human consumption since it contains antioxidants, which aids in reducing risks of heart attacks, cancer, and also it promotes eye care. To curb the issue of decline in bee colonies population, farmers have formed initiatives and policies to manage it.

Conclusion

Decline in honey bee colonies over the past years during the last decades, and it has led to the farmers incurring many losses. To curb the issue of decline in bee colonies population, farmers have formed initiatives and policies to manage it. Farmers have to work in partnership with the government or even agricultural specialists to ensure that conducive habitats for the bees are kept safe and that natural habitats should get excluded to provide the bees with nesting grounds and where they can quickly get food from plants. The scientists also need to work in partnership with the farmers to confirm suitable grounds for the bees and also built bee habitats that can keep the bees safe from harsh climatic conditions such as winter. Also, the use of neonicotinoids should get restricted in order to promote natural beekeeping practices. The monitoring of local pollinators ground will aid in safeguarding the bee's natural habitats and ensure that they are kept safe from pests such as mites.

References

Bicknell, J. (2018). The effects of organic and conventional agriculture on bee populations in the United States. https://doi.org/10.15760/honors.663

Sponsler, D. B., & Johnson, R. M. (2016). Mechanistic modeling of pesticide exposure: The missing Keystone of honey bee toxicology. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 36(4), 871-881. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.3661

Wright, G. A., Nicolson, S. W., & Shafir, S. (2018). Nutritional physiology and ecology of honey bees. Annual Review of Entomology, 63(1), 327-344. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-020117-043423