Protecting Bees and other pollinators’ for Our Own Survival

“My bees cover one thousand square miles of land that I do not own in their foraging flights, flying from flower to flower for which I pay no rent, stealing nectar but pollinating plants in return.”

-Sue Hubbell

 

https://www.newscientist.com/definition/bees/

Bees can be very scary and intimidating. None of us want to get on their bad side, I’m sure. The phrase, ‘Sting like a bee’, doesn’t help either because obviously, this means that their sting is very painful. But we all know their importance, and how their job is essential to the protection of our ecosystems. Without bees, many plant species would probably go extinct.

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Bees don’t just give us honey. They, along with some other insects or animals, are pollinators. Some common pollinators are bees, butterflies, bats, birds, lizards, moths, and so on. What is pollination? The transferring of pollen grains from the male part of a plant (anther) to the female part of the same plant or a different plant (stigma) of the same species. This is necessary for their reproduction and in giving rise to the next generation. These plants are necessary for the survival of any ecosystem as they provide food, oxygen, and shelter to some of the organisms living in the ecosystem.

https://www.pollinator.org/pollinators

The pollen grains from an anther fall on the body of pollinators when they go to collect honey or food. When these pollinators go to other plants or flowers, the pollen grains brought by them get stuck to the stigma of female flowers, thereby allowing fertilization. Almost 90% of plants everywhere need bees and other pollinators to achieve fertilization. Without these plants, we humans would also suffer because we need food from the plants.

Bees and other pollinators’ lives are at risk even though they play a vital role in our survival. Human activity is causing a decline in their general population. Very soon, there will not be enough bees or other animals. This is going to cause biodiversity loss in many ecosystems which will eventually lead to the end of the ecosystems. Nothing good is ever going to come out of ecosystem destruction.

 

https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/pollination-101-the-basics-on-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters/

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Read Also : Why Are Bees So Important To Our Ecosystem?

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Pollinators help in fertilizing crops as well. When farmers use pesticides and insecticides, the pollinators are affected badly. Even the fertilizers present in the soil can be toxic to these creatures. This can cause a decline in their number.

When using pesticides and insecticides in your own garden or on a farm, make sure you use them in such a way that they will not badly affect any pollinators. Read the instructions manual which will tell you how much to use. It will also show you the environmental hazards it will cause if not used properly. When spraying these on your plants, make sure you don’t use too much. Don’t spray too much on the flowers. Use them after the bees and other pollinators have finished their job of pollinating the plants, like in the evening.

Bees require water as well. We know that mosquitoes breed in water so we add mosquito killer substances in birdbaths and ponds. These products can be dangerous to bees and other pollinators as well. Try to use as little as you possibly can of these insecticides, or buy ones that are safer for pollinators.

 

https://inhabitat.com/polish-team-develops-new-method-to-discover-which-pesticides-are-killing-honeybees/

Global Warming also plays an important role in the lessening of pollinators. Because of the change in climate, the pollinators’ behaviors are affected. The wrong kinds of plants flower in the wrong kind of climate. Climate change is too hard to control now. But taking time to control it may help in the future.

Honey is one of the tastiest syrup you can find in the market. This nectar is made from bees reared by bee farmers. If you have been to a bee farm, you have probably seen that a lot of bees are kept in make-shift hives made by humans. Each hive contains more than 10,000 bees. They are allowed to go out for a certain amount of time to collect honey and pollinate flowers. When they come back, they are locked in their man-made hives, in close proximity with each other. Because these bees are grown in unnatural conditions, the probability of them acquiring a dangerous disease or pathogen increases, and this affects all such bees in a hive because they are kept under lockdown together.

 

https://www.bakhabarkissan.com/honeybee-farming/

If you have been to a bee farm, you may have also noticed something called a smoker. Smokers are used in calming bees when they get uncontrollable and they try to sting you. Most smokers use harmless smoke made from coconut husks, pine needles, twines, and other harmless natural substances. These are not dangerous to bees. If you have a bee farm, and you want to control your bees, use these natural substances to smoke them because other substances may be dangerous to them and the environment as well.

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Read Also : Why Angelina Jolie Is Betting on Women to Save the Bees

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There are many ways in which you can help pollinators in your garden. When trimming plants or mowing your lawn, make sure you don’t take away too many flowers or other parts of the plant which can be food for the bees and other pollinators. If you see a bee-hive in your garden, I am sure you will panic because bees can be dangerous, especially if you have children. Instead of harming them, call the appropriate people who can come and take the hive away safely. This will be beneficial to you and the bees as well. Even if you do see a lone bee or two in your garden, don’t freak out. They will mind their own business and work their magic as long as you don’t pose a threat to them.

https://www.neefusa.org/nature/land/protecting-pollinators

Pollinators are very important in our lives. Imagine a world without flowers and plants. It’s not a pretty world. We must do what we can to protect these creatures. Make sure that there is nothing that we do to hinder their work and keep them safe. Every ecosystem directly or indirectly depends on them. If we want a future, we must start taking action.

“If the bee disappeared from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.”

-Albert Einstein

-Sharon Ajith                                                                                                                -18/05/2021

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