Bee populations along with other pollinators have witnessed a steady decline over the past decade, with the blame being pointed at various causes including insecticides, climate change and disease.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has suggested that an estimated 24% of Europe’s bumbles bees are threatened with extinction. This is an environmental disaster in the waiting, especially when you appreciate that bees contribute about 90% of pollination of the worlds crops, and without this natural pollination the world risks food insecurity.
In the Uk 13 species of Bee has been lost since 1900, and a further 35 are considered under threat of extinction. In Europe 1 in 10 wild bee species faces extinction.
More research needs to be undertaken to fully understand the causes of such extinction or decline, but what is known is that changes in land use, habitat loss, pesticide use, diseases, pollution, farming practices, climate change and invasive non-native species all play a role in the loss of the Bees.
One out of every three mouthfuls of our food depends on pollinators and crops that depend on pollination are considered to be five times more valuable than those that do not.
It needs to be understood that the drop in numbers is a threat to our natural habitat, food and environment as a whole. The drop in Bees can certainly be recognised as a litmus paper to the plight of the natural world as a whole.
What can you do to improve this situation?
Buy local or British honey,
Plant a bee friendly garden, or windows box with nectar rich flowers,
Use natural insecticides in your garden, encourage more wildlife that feed off the insects.
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