About 2 weeks ago, the world celebrated the World Bee Day!
You might wonder what the buzz is all about. So let's talk about Bees.
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are only one of the 20,000 species of bees, and they are popular for the sweet golden liquid they produce.
However, beekeepers say honey is the cheapest of all bee products. One of the more expensive bee products is, Pollination.
Pollination in the plant world, is like mating for animals. That's how they reproduce, multiply and produce the different kinds of food that you and I need for survival. This, however happens through different agents such as wind, explosive mechanisms, animals, insects.
Honey bees happen to be an important insect species is responsible for pollinating over 80 percent of all flowering plants, including 35 percent (over 4,000 varieries) of the world's food crops- including fruits and vegetables.
So, what happens if bees go extinct?
It has been discovered that Bees are endangered due to;
Habitat destruction,
Invasive predators,
Pesticides and
Climate Change.
Well, as against the popular four year human extinction deadline, humans would actually not die if need go extinct, but the consequences remain dire.
When Pollination becomes inefficient, we would lose most of our favourite food, fruits and vegetables. Cost of food would skyrocket, and malnutrition eventually set in.
Domestic and wild animals that feed on crops exclusively pollinated by bees, would reduce in population, their predators in turn reduce, and on and on the food chain, biodiversity and the ecosystem at large.
So, in simple terms, Agriculture is dependent on bees and humans cannot live conveniently without the food produced through Pollination by bees.
We all in our own little and big ways, can make a difference to save bees and other insect pollinators by;
— Gardening,
— Planting fruit trees and bee-friendly trees,
— Engaging in and encouraging beekeeping,
— Using pesticides sustainably,
— Supporting climate action.
and Bee-ing generous by sharing this post.
#PloggingNigeria
#WorldBeeDay
— Iyanuoluwa Grace
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