A honey bee is one of the greatest creatures alive. It does more work for the continuation of life than many other types of biological life, including humans. It is responsible for pollinating more types of plants than any other pollinator known to man. Because of its willingness to pollinate so many different types of plants, humans have latched onto the honeybee as a resource and it is used extensively in pollinating several types of crops. That apple you are eating was formed after being pollinated by a honey bee.
It should be no mystery to anyone at this point in time that honey bee populations have been in decline for several years now. Since 2006, scientists and concerned apiarists (bee keepers) have watched bee populations plummet. For a while, at least the first couple of years, the cause of the rapid decline and die-offs remained unknown. A lone idea that cell phone signals were the dastardly fiends killing our bees came about, and while there was some circumstantial evidence pointing to that, it couldn't be the only or best reason. Then, in 2008, credible hypotheses and evidence began to reveal itself pointing to a number of culprits.
Parasites, pesticides, and overworking have come to be the main three theories as to why the bee populations have gone into a tail spin. While one may be most likely killer (the parasite), the other two reasons have definitely helped to exacerbate the problem. Turning a wild honey bee into a work horse and exposing it to deadly chemicals day in and day out cannot be good for its immune system. While these three reasons are not the exact known cause of bee decline, they seem to be the most likely components and scientists are working feverishly to come up with solutions to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Also, regular folks like you and I are fighting to save bee populations.
I remember when I first learned of the drop in bee populations around 5 years ago. I was still a student studying Plant Biology and several of my professors remarked on this sudden and massive drop. It concerned me then, and it concerns me now. This year, as I've been working in my area of Central Park, I have noticed a lot of honey bees hanging around the flowering annuals. While I know the bees are still struggling for survival, it is encouraging to see larger numbers of bees and it gives me hope that we can help another species avoid extinction due to our indirect involvement. That is what being a steward is all about.
It should be no mystery to anyone at this point in time that honey bee populations have been in decline for several years now. Since 2006, scientists and concerned apiarists (bee keepers) have watched bee populations plummet. For a while, at least the first couple of years, the cause of the rapid decline and die-offs remained unknown. A lone idea that cell phone signals were the dastardly fiends killing our bees came about, and while there was some circumstantial evidence pointing to that, it couldn't be the only or best reason. Then, in 2008, credible hypotheses and evidence began to reveal itself pointing to a number of culprits.
Parasites, pesticides, and overworking have come to be the main three theories as to why the bee populations have gone into a tail spin. While one may be most likely killer (the parasite), the other two reasons have definitely helped to exacerbate the problem. Turning a wild honey bee into a work horse and exposing it to deadly chemicals day in and day out cannot be good for its immune system. While these three reasons are not the exact known cause of bee decline, they seem to be the most likely components and scientists are working feverishly to come up with solutions to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Also, regular folks like you and I are fighting to save bee populations.
I remember when I first learned of the drop in bee populations around 5 years ago. I was still a student studying Plant Biology and several of my professors remarked on this sudden and massive drop. It concerned me then, and it concerns me now. This year, as I've been working in my area of Central Park, I have noticed a lot of honey bees hanging around the flowering annuals. While I know the bees are still struggling for survival, it is encouraging to see larger numbers of bees and it gives me hope that we can help another species avoid extinction due to our indirect involvement. That is what being a steward is all about.
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