Many people have heard the expression “save the bees,” but few people know why you should care about saving honey bees. The truth is, while this buzzing insect may cause anxiety to some, bees are crucial members of our ecosystem. Without bees, the world would be different for humans and every species. Learn more about why you should care about protecting the bee population below.
Future Food Shortages
Most of us know that bees create some of our favorite honey products, but did you know that bees are also responsible for one in every three bites of food you eat? That’s right. Bees help produce over 30 percent of the world’s food resources.
While this statistic may seem large, it makes more sense when considering that honey bees are one of the world’s biggest pollinators. Bees worldwide pollinate millions of plants, flowers, and crops that promote reproduction and help wildlife bloom.
Without bees, the world’s crops would lose this primary pollinator and likely lead to food shortages.
Environmental Disturbances
It’s more than just human beings who rely on bees for most of their food source. Animals and other insects also depend on bees to pollinate plants. So if the honey bee species were to go extinct, millions of other species around the world would suffer from a lack of food and shelter as a result.
Economic Downsides
Bees affect the global economy every year, directly through their honey production and indirectly through pollination. In a world without bees, food shortages would increase, and the economy would take a nose dive downward. Shortages in crops, meats, and other affected environmental products would make retail profits challenging.
Visible Changes
Apart from these severe effects, you should care about saving honey bees because this insect is mainly responsible for making the planet beautiful. Without bees, your garden or backyard would not have the same blooming flowers. Instead, bright, vibrant colors would fade into dull and dead appearances.
How Do You Help Honey Bees?
Now that you realize how important honey bees are, how can humans help their declining population? There are several different ways to help honey bees. For example, supporting honey bee organizations can raise researchers’ funding to learn how farmers can create more bee-friendly farms. Starting a garden or planting more flowers in your backyard can also help these pollinators.
Hopefully, this guide can illuminate why this buzzing insect is so important. So remember, before you start swatting, recognize how essential it is to save the bees.