Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us?

Chloe Stothers

Bursch

Biology

2 December 2013

Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us?

The bee population is plummeting as a cause of recent human activities.  However, most humans are not aware of this problem or do not seem to think it is very serious.  Bees provide us with many necessary and beneficial materials that have made bees highly regarded for a long time.  These materials may disappear if humans do not start addressing the problem.  Some major factors that might make people “wake up” are the loss of our main food supply and unemployment of hundreds of people.

Decrease of food choices may make people notice the importance of saving the bees.  With the disappearing of bees less and less plants are being pollinated.  If this continues plants will not receive the necessary materials to produce new seeds and fruits.  Plants will slowly start dying off taking with them the majority of our diet.  No flowering plants means very few consumers.  So bee extinction would take away our most of our plant foods and our meat.  Without the proper nutrition humans would also face a downfall that would wipe out virtually all life on earth.

Hundreds of people being unemployed may also make people realize the significance of saving the bees.  Beekeepers would lose their source of income and enjoyment.  Factory workers

for honey and beeswax companies would also face unemployment.  However, not only will it affect the products made directly from the bees.  It would also affect the workers that pick the fruits, vegetables, seeds, and other plants as well as the people who raise livestock and hunt for a living and income.  Even gardeners and botanists would lose business.  Without bees our world would fall into poverty.

However, there may be other reasons that would cause people to recognize the severity of the downfall of the bees.  These may include a fall in the economy after food availability decreases and jobs are lost. Or even loss of biodiversity may alert some people as plant and animal types are lost due to no pollination.

It is amazing how influential these little insects are in our world and lives throughout all of history.  Without these small bugs that people take for granted our whole earth would be in ruins.  In order to save our posterity we must start taking action in saving the bees now.  It may just take loss of food, loss of money, and the end of humanity for people to “wake up” and realize that.  Hopefully we will not lose too much before humans notice the harm done to our future and the future of the earth.