There is no doubt that the earth has been a subject to extreme weather patterns in the last few years. Evidence ranges from raging bushfires in Australia, severe flooding in South East Asia and the highest ever recorded temperature in Antarctica. The consequences of these catastrophes have very obvious implications for humans, but how are they affecting the honey bee population and what does this mean for the future of our planet? Studies of honey bee distributions have shown that they are pushing further and further north in the American continents. This results from rapidly increasing temperatures near to the equator. Although honey bees are appearing in previously too cold regions, their numbers here are no match to the decline in hotter regions.
The huge importance of these bees lies in the process of picking up pollen from the male reproductive system (stamen) of the plant and moving this to the female reproductive system (stigma). In doing so, the bee causes pollination and allows reproduction of the plant. Without this process occurring, we would see enormous decline in certain plant species which play a vital role in carbon sequestration from the atmosphere. Hence, putting further pressure on global warming.
In a huge effort to feed the famished population after World War Two, there was a 50-fold increase in the use of the insecticide, DDT. There was a push for increased crop productivity alongside a warped belief that it would help to eradicate malaria and typhus. However, this overuse of insecticide reaped huge repercussions in natural ecosystems, especially to the honey bee population. It is soluble in water and therefore, absorbed by the plant and assimilated into pollen and nectar. Through ingestion of this as a food source, the bee suffers adverse effects on their navigational skills and ability to detect odours: natural abilities that are crucial to their foraging for food. Honey bees are highly diverse organisms and are found almost all over the world. With this worldwide use of DDT, global bee populations took a massive hit.
Not only is this use of the tangible insecticide causing bee navigation to be thrown off, the intangible Wi-Fi and phone signals are proving to be a major disturbance. These frequencies of electromagnetic radiation are said to be problematic for egg-laying rates, further reducing bee numbers.
It is our responsibility to boost these numbers again and prevent extinction of the honey bee, for their extinction would give us humans just 4 years to live on the planet. Artificial pollination is simply not effective enough.
Written by Scarlett Brown