The Bees are at their Breaking Point: If they die, we might go with them

While some may think of distant poverty-stricken countries when hearing the phrase “wide-spread hunger”, it is the reality that our nation will be faced with if something is not done to conserve honeybee colonies. Since 2006, scientists have reported that honeybee colonies are dying at record rates of 30%, a substantial jump from the previous annual average of 5-10% and the number is only increasing. It is easy to think that this is an esoteric issue that is best left to the crusades of well-meaning yet eccentric environmentalists. However, this is a natural disaster that affects the daily life of the consumer. Considering that bees are directly or indirectly responsible for roughly 75% of the food that we eat, the decline of the honeybees has very dire implications for our future as a nation.

Do you enjoy consuming food? If so, then the honeybee crisis is actually incredibly relevant to you. One may think that honey is the only commodity that the bees contribute to the food market. However, the US Department of Agriculture reports that honeybees are responsible for pollinating over $15 billion of crops each year and agricultural products constitute some of the fastest growing American exports. Honeybees pollinate many commercial crops including apples, almonds, citrus fruits and many more. Some crops, like almonds, rely exclusively on professional bee pollination each year on a massive scale. Beekeeping is in and of itself a dynamic industry and farms pay to have truckloads of bees help them out each spring. There are many other indirect ways that bees affect the food industry as well. For example, crops like alfalfa are pollinated by bees but not directly used as a human food source. However, they are then used to feed cows that are in turn responsible for producing many dairy products as well as being used for meat. One may wonder why the average consumer may not have noticed this crisis at the food markets but the average price of almonds per pound has actually more than doubled in the last five years. The honeybee population is at the center of the food industry and absolutely crucial to the continued success of the US economy as well.

The honeybee crisis appears to be caused by several of factors. First introduced to the US in the late 1980s,  varroa mites are parasites that have been an increasing problem for the bees in recent years. The mites target the maturing honeybees, causing them to be more susceptible to disease and eventual death. Thus, in colonies affected by the mites, few bees ever reach adulthood. A lonely queen is left to watch over young bees who will never grow up, waiting for workers who will never return.

However, perhaps the most significant factor contributing to the bee crisis is the use of certain insecticides. In 2007, the EPA estimated that the US used a record-breaking 1.1 billion pounds of insecticides.  While insecticides have been used for many years, a new class of nicotine-derived insecticides called neonicotinoids has come under fire most recently. After being approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2005, the use of neonicotinoids has increased dramatically. However, recent research has come to light supporting the fact that these chemicals can have seriously detrimental effects on honeybee populations. A clinical study showed that honeybees exposed to these compounds were unable to find their way back to their hives and died due to the subsequent lack of protection. Neonicotinoids also differ in their mode of dissemination, as they are ingrained into the seeds of plants and can thus persist for many months when other pesticides might have washed away. The increased use of neonicotinoids correlates to the rise in honeybee mortality and unless something is done, the numbers will only continue to escalate. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that although separately the EPA might not consider the insecticides lethal, roughly 20 different chemical residues have been found in devastated beehives. This suggests that the chemicals are unexpectedly far more potent together and play a role in bee deaths. Together the mites and pesticides are the perfect storm to absolutely decimate honeybee populations.

We do not have to stand idle watching this crisis unfold; there are several things that we can do. By buying food that has not been treated with pesticides, we can change the market. Companies currently have no incentive to choose bee-friendly methods but might be swayed by consumer demands. However, organic foods have become a bit of cultural cache here in the US and are not necessarily accessible to everyone. So more than just hoping to change the markets indirectly, we can take action by appealing to the legislative bodies, which could lead to a solution with longevity. The European Union has already banned the use of certain pesticides and the time has come for us to finally try and open the conversation here that our European counterparts have been having for many years. This is not an issue that is only for the tree-hugging bohemians, it is an issue that concerns us all. Consider this the call to arms to help our apiarian comrades.