The Lost Buzz

Bees play a crucial role in pollinating, thus creating food security for the growing global population. They are the best proponents of sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

Pollination Ecosystem: Wagglers on the Floor

Bees get almost all of their food from flowers — pollen and nectar. Pollen is a source of protein for the bees. It is usually stored in a separate room, so it can be mixed with honey to feed the young. Nectar provides immediate energy to the working bees and the excess is stored in their stomach. Once the bees fly to the comb, the nectar is transferred from bee to bee, during this process the enzymes in the bee's stomach convert sugar into honey. Dark pollen cells and light honey cells make up the bee's pantry. This honey, stored in the cells capped with wax, is the winter stockpile for when the flowers are not in bloom.

Bees search for rewarding food sources through a process known as foraging. These tiny creatures have developed a fine-tuned ability to locate and collect pollen and nectar. In tandem, they are also brilliant boogy dancers. They perform a waggle dance when they find a rich food source, communicating the distance, location, and quality of the source to their fellow hivemates. Their sesame seed-sized brain has a remarkable memory for remembering colors, scents, and shapes.

Flowers are not just being charitable in this case. The flowering plants cannot reproduce without pollen; these buzzing bugs help carry the pollen from one blossom to another. Without bees, there is no reproduction, so most of them will die without offspring to carry on their line.

Lost Buzz: Unsung Heroes of Agriculture

These mighty insects carry pollen from the male part of the flower stigma to the female part of the flower anther, a natural reproduction process that assists in the development of fruits and seeds. This greatly reduces farmers’ dependency on chemicals. They not only help in pollination but also improve soil health and enhance the health of wild plants.

However, things are not easy for our tiny friends. Colony collapse disorder (CCD) has seen the mysterious deaths and disappearance of adult bees from the hives. Researchers are still seeking answers, but common reasons under consideration include the use of pesticides, the weakening of the bee’s immune system due to environmental pollution, electromagnetic radiation, and climate change. Our natural and sustainable food system is quickly shifting to an unhealthy and unsustainable mode. The decline of bees affects the entire ecosystem, particularly agriculture, food, and health.

The Solution: #BeeTheChange

Our tiny friends can be protected by activities small and large. Create a bee-friendly garden. Establish a wide range of flowering and fruiting plants. Stop using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Plant a wide range of native herbs, shrubs, and trees. Reduce environmental pollution. Create connected feeding and nesting habitats in the community. (NWF’s Five Ways to Help Bees At Home)

Bees have coevolved with us and are critical elements of a regenerative ecosystem. Their health and well-being are intimately connected with our own. So, let us #BeeTheChange.