2 Vital Reasons Why Bees Are So Important
Everyone knows at least a few things about bees.
The honey bee visits flowers and makes honey. They live in colonies and protect the queen bee. Many people also know there’s a great effort to save bee populations, but we have to answer the most important question to fully understand the importance of bees.
Why Are Bees Important to Our Environment?
The hard work that honey bees do all year round helps their local ecosystems flourish. Moreover, honey bees are invaluable to human agriculture and food production. If you want to learn more about the buzz around honey bees, check out the two primary reasons why bees are so important to our ecosystem and world.
Pollination and Agriculture
Pollination is a natural process for the western honey bee, also known as the European honey bee, which is the most common type of honey bee seen around the world.
As honey bees, bumble bees, and other pollinators visit local flowers to gather pollen and nectar to sustain their communities, they spread some of that pollen to other plant life in the area.
About 90% of the flowering plants in our ecosystem require pollinators to help with reproduction. Without bees, we would be sorely missing our favorite fruits, vegetables, nuts, oils, and many other food sources.
Simply put, various bee species fertilize other plants and crops in their area. This allows plants to reproduce and spread, making bee pollination an extremely useful contribution to agriculture.
The agricultural industry highly values honey bees for their pollination skills. Farmers will set honey bee hives near their fields so that the bees pollinate food crops, encouraging the colonies to spread their gathered pollen with nearby crops.
Without these pollination services, many crops would be far less successful. We would lose easy access to many crucial fruits, vegetables, and other tasty foods that we enjoy on a regular basis. The next time you bite into a delicious piece of fruit, thank the native bees for their hard work and dedication to our food crops!
Balancing the Ecosystem
Honey bees’ pollination efforts benefit more than just farmers and their crops. This work is also crucial to the bees’ local environments.
Through pollination, honey bees help plants reproduce, grow, and thrive. These plants serve a crucial purpose in their environments. Fruits, nuts, and seeds become food sources for insects, wildlife, and humans.
Trees and bushes become a shelter for many insects, critters, and animals living in the wild. Bees truly have a hand in everything related to our ecosystem’s balance and functionality—and that’s why we’re so passionate about saving them!
Pollination promotes biodiversity, which creates a strong and complex ecosystem that houses a diverse range of species. Without the hard work of every bee species, the natural world would look much less colorful for humans and wildlife.
Many beekeepers start their careers because they understand why bees are so important for flowering plants in native environments and the success of pollinator-dependent crops.
Beekeepers want to help the ecosystem improve and sustain, and they are well aware of what bees contribute to the diversity of our world.
Other Ways Bees Help the World
By now, you probably understand how valuable and self-sustaining bees are for pollination and agriculture.
Research shows that bees can even be trained to detect illness in humans! Scientists and researchers continue to study the use of hexagons in engineering, inspired by the iconic honeycomb pattern created by bees.
The six hive products created by bees, including honey, pollen, propolis, venom, beeswax, and royal jelly, all have unique and valuable benefits for nutritional and medicinal purposes.
Honey is widely consumed and used as a natural sweetener, while beeswax is commonly used in balms, salves, candles, and beauty products.
Royal jelly is often used for wound healing and aging, while propolis offers many health benefits related to treating allergies and gastrointestinal disorders. Bee venom has anti-inflammatory benefits and can provide relief for chronic pain and arthritis.
These are just a few of the powerful ways bees impact our world in a valuable way. They improve the lives of humans in many ways. From providing us with healthy food to eat to natural products to treat ailments and illnesses, bees have a significant effect on our health and wellness daily.
What Would the World Be Like Without Bees?
It’s a concerning thought for those who understand bees' massively important role in our environment.
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee, beef, and so much more would be in short supply, and in turn, food prices would drastically increase because of demand. Eating a healthy diet would be much more difficult and expensive.
Some crops can be hand-pollinated, and technological advancements can help with this process. It’s difficult to predict or measure the impact of losing bees on our society and our ecosystem, but we know it would be extremely detrimental.
How You Can Help Save the Bees
We hope this post has inspired you to take action and do your part to help keep bees as an integral part of our ecosystem. Here are a few ways you can help save the bees from extinction:
- Plant local flowers and plants in your garden.
- Avoid using pesticides and other chemicals in your garden.
- Create a safe space for a bee bath in your garden or yard.
- Buy local honey and beeswax to support local beekeepers.
- Teach others what you’ve learned from this post, and spread the word!
Start Raising Honey Bees Today
Are you inspired to join the effort in protecting and preserving these hard-working bees? We need your help! You can start your own apiary by purchasing a bee starter kit and learning everything there is to know about raising a honey bee colony.
At Mann Lake, we’re committed to providing beekeepers of all skill levels with the supplies, resources, and knowledge to successfully raise a thriving bee colony in any climate or location. Join the beautiful buzzing world of beekeeping today, and see for yourself why our favorite pollinators are so valuable.