Bees have an incalculable value to the planet. They pollinate roughly a third of the food we eat (with honeybees doing most of the work) and 80% of all flowering plants[1]. There are hundreds of thousands of species of flowering plants.

Bees are truly among the most important organisms on the planet. Considering that, we probably do not want their populations to be threatened in any way. Unfortunately, bees face a multitude of threats which all negatively impact their populations*. The main threat of which is climate change.

First let’s talk about how pollution such as car exhaust affects bees. Considering that pollution is the second leading factor of death in humans, it certainly negatively impacts these insects. When in highly polluted areas, honeybees get pollutants stuck to them which interrupts their ability to find and remember flowers. The pollutants also make the bees feel sluggish and they may even shorten their lifespans[2].

Photo by Boris Smokrovic from Unsplash

We aren’t done talking about pollution though. It turns out that while simultaneously covering bees and giving them health problems, pollution also decreases the available proteins and nutrients in pollen sources from flowers. Rising carbon dioxide levels does this to plants by increasing their growth rate. However, this increased growth speed is not matched by increased protein levels and so these essential nutrients get diluted.

The same process happens in human crops as well including rice and wheat. The goldenrod, an important food source for North American bees, has lost a third of its protein concentration since the Industrial Revolution. This is a huge percentage and certainly spells trouble for bees[3]. If emissions continue to rise at their present rate, carbon dioxide emissions could nearly double by the end of the century[4].

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The changing climate also has a large impact on bee populations. More frequent cases of extreme rainfall, wildfires, droughts, and floods can all destroy bee habitats and their food sources. As the world warms, bees extend their foraging time later into the year as they don’t have to worry about getting too cold.

While this may seem like a good thing, the parasitic mites that infect bees can only get into other colonies by spreading from foraging bee to foraging bee. A longer foraging time means more chances for more mites to infect and possible destroy a bee colony[5].

All these problems for bees have been caused solely by the fact the human race has not done very well at all when it comes to reducing its emissions. World honeybee populations are decreasing and can certainly be expected to decrease in the future. So far, honeybee colonies (specifically Apis mellifera) have decreased in number by 25% over the past two decades in Europe and by 59% over the past 58 years in North America[6].

In Europe the number of colonies decreased by 16% in the winter of 2017 to 2018 alone[7]. Western Nepal honeybee populations fell by 44% between 2012 and 2022[8].

Bee populations in Africa, however, have been far more stable than the ones everywhere else in the world. This might be because honeybees in Africa have not been bred to be as docile as the European honeybees. This lack of breeding allowed the African honeybees to keep their ability to fight back effectively against invaders in their colony and infestations of mites. The lack of wide-scale industrialization of many bee colonies in Africa unlike places such as North America also made it harder for mites to spread from colony to colony[9].

The fact that honeybees from Africa are more aggressive has been proven in a study that showed that they sting 4 to 10 times more frequently and when pursuing something 10 to 30 times as many bees followed when compared to European colonies. Even many of the pheromones in African bees are stronger than in European honeybees[10].

So, the question you are probably thinking about now is how can you help bees? One of the best ways you can help bees is by planting a bee friendly garden in your backyard with lots of wildflowers. You can look for lists of good plant options online.

However, as stated before climate change is the biggest threat to bees. While planting wildflowers in your garden will help bee populations, more must be done to help save these buzzing honey-giving hymenopterans. So, if you would truly like to save the world’s bees you must take action against climate change and tell the world just how important these insects are.

A first possible step could be sharing this article.

Photo by William Warby from Unsplash

*This article will mainly talk about honeybees and other bees that create colonies and ignore all the bees that do not such as sweat bees. While does not seem fair to the other 20,000 species of bees, it is simply because there is not as much information on the impacts of climate change on non-honeybees. However, some of the threats that impact honeybees may also impact certain other wild bees as well.

Sources:

[1] Bees | National Wildlife Federation

[2] Air pollution could be making honey bees sick – new study

[3] Rising CO2 levels reduce protein in crucial pollen source for bees

[4] Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide | NOAA Climate.gov

[5] Bees face many challenges – and climate change is ratcheting up the pressure

[6] The complex causes of worldwide bee declines

[7] Decline of the honeybee: number of colonies fell by 16 per cent

[8] Decline in Honeybees and Its Consequences for Beekeepers and Crop Pollination in Western Nepal - PMC

[9] How African honey bees can help mitigate a world crisis | CNN

[10] Africanized Bees: Better Understanding, Better Prepared – Bee Health