bee
NOUN
bees (plural noun)
a stinging winged insect that collects nectar and pollen, produces wax and honey and lives in large communities. Also called honeybee.
Why are bees so important to the world you ask? 'Almost 90% of wild plants and 75% of leading global crops depend on animal pollination. One out of every three mouthfuls of our food depends on pollinators. Crops that depend on pollination are five times more valuable than those that do not.' (WWF, online)
Did you know that bees can be found living in all these places? …soft cliffs, marshes, gravel pits, shingle, heathlands, wetlands, chalk grasslands, sand dunes, quarries, sea walls and even post-industrial land.
How to save a bee? If you find a bee that appears to be struggling it could be that it is tired and it's resting. If you think that it is struggling you could try putting it on a bee-friendly flower or alternatively mix up an energising sugar drink. 50:50 white sugar and water will give the bee the energy boost it mighty need. Just pop a bit on the end of a spoon and hold it close to the bee's front end.
So what will happen if bees go extinct? Firstly it will destroy the world’s ecosystem & it will lead to the extinction of other animals. As the world loses all the plants pollinated by bees, it will also lose the animals that consume these plants, which will then lead to the destruction of the food chain and ecosystem. The extinction of bees could also cause widespread hardship to mankind. Some of the food that we regularly consume will cease to be available. For example, almond is used to feed some farm animals and is used in many products such as cereals, baking, milk and others. The extinction of bees would also cause a decline in fruit and vegetable production by half. Which again would have an impact on animals who feed on these and of course humans. As there will be a limited amount of these products, the price of them will increase (fruit, veg, honey, coffee, meat, etc. will all be affected).
Believe it or not, the extinction of bees will also impact the clothes you wear today. Cotton makes up about 35 per cent of the world’s fibre use and once the bees are gone, you can forget those jeans, mattresses, towels, and other paper products.
Is it already happening? Sadly the answer is yes. According to studies by Colony Collapse Disorder 1/3 of commercial bees are abandoning their hives. Meanwhile, some beekeepers have reported that around 90 per cent of their bees have simply disappeared. One of the reasons for the extinction of various bee colonies could be; long winters, less nectar, parasites, viruses and mites. However, many die by consuming the pesticides people use to protect their plants from insects. A bee might carry it into its hive and wipe out the whole colony.
How can you help? There are several things you can do to help. Firstly buy local honey to support beekeepers. Secondly, plant flowers such as snapdragon, lavender, foxglove and any flowers that produce pollen and nectar the bees can eat in your garden. Thirdly, avoid using pesticides in your garden.
At Gaia
Here at Gaia Nature Inspired Jewellery store, we love bees. We have many bee-inspired jewellery pieces such as Lucky bee, Bee on Honeycomb, Honey bee. Our customers carry their bees around with them raising awareness of the importance of these amazing creatures of mother nature.
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