The global honey bee population dwindled precipitously – by some experts’ estimates, to the tune of 40% from 2018 to 2019 and again by 40% from 2019 to 2020, respectively.
Source: Bee informed Partnership
These are unsustainable losses with grave implications for the entire ecosystem and the animals that inhabit it, including humans.
Let’s explore the biggest threats to honey bees, why protecting them is so important, and what you can do to support healthy honey bee populations in North America.
Why are honey bees so important to the environment?
Many of us don’t fully appreciate how essential honey bees are. Here’s why they’re an indispensable component of a healthy ecosystem, which we rely on for survival:
- Honey bees are the world’s #1 pollinator of non-crop plants. Without them, the vegetation that supports all animal life would disappear.
- Honey bees are an important source of food. Both bees’ honey, and honey bees themselves, occupy critical positions in the food chain. 24 species of birds, for example, are known to feed on honey bees.
- Bees promote biodiversity. In a world increasingly dominated by monocultural food production like soy and corn, honey bees’ wild pollination work is more important than ever for preserving biodiversity in the flora.
Now that we’ve outlined why honey bee populations are worth saving, let’s explore the biggest threats to their proliferation and survival.
Honey bee threat #1: climate change
Fossil fuel-induced, carbon dioxide-driven manmade climate change has touched countless aspects of the planet’s health, including honey bee populations.
In fact, climate change is, by many estimates, the top driver of declining honey bee numbers. Here are the two main ways that climate change impacts honey bees.
Shrinking honey bee habitats
Research indicates that climate change is shrinking honey bees’ natural habitats and, as a consequence, their populations. In North America and Europe alone, bee territories have diminished by about 200 miles.
Deforestation also exacerbates this loss of habitat. Together, climate change, large-scale monoculture commercial crop production, and excessive logging, among other human activities, spell disaster for honey bee habitats.
Shifting weather patterns disrupting honey bee reproduction and life cycles
Studies have shown that weather pattern shifts associated with climate change are harmful:
“The most critical factor influencing wild bee abundance and species diversity was the weather, particularly temperature and precipitation.”
Specific changes in weather patterns affecting honey bees include shorter, warmer winters, higher precipitation in winter and spring, and longer, hotter summers.
Honey bee threat #2: pesticides
Next to climate change, the overuse of, and indiscriminate application of, toxic pesticides and other chemicals kill honey bees.
While certain pesticides have undoubtedly produced some net benefits for farming in the form of greater yields by keeping away harmful pests, they also harm beneficial critters like honey bees.
Pesticides do double-harm to honey bees – both as larvae and as fully-formed adults. They impair bees’ natural learning and memory abilities as well as limit their reproductive capacity. In fact, among honey bees exposed to one particular common pesticide, imidacloprid, fertility rates declined by 75%.
Contact Dadant & Sons to learn more about threats to honey bees and how to support their numbers
The factors explored above are just a handful of the many environmental threats endangering honey bees.
At multi-generational beekeeping family company Dadant & Sons, we don’t just supply industry-leading beekeeping supplies (and honey bees themselves).
Our mission is also to educate the public about the existential threat posed by declining honey bee populations. We advocate for common-sense efforts to combat these losses and restore honey bee populations before the consequences become too dire.
Contact us to learn more about what you can do to support healthy honey bee numbers, including starting your own beekeeping operation!