Be aware of the bees

Do you know that we depend on honey bees for a third of our food supply? Among them are some of the foods we like the most: vegetables, fruits, nuts, juices, smoothies and … ice cream! (An ice cream maker is so concerned that it has launched a campaign)

Whenever we see a bee, we should kneel in deep gratitude and make oceans of love flow. Most of us are not aware that our food supply depends on bees, so we do not recognize their importance in our lives and even mistreat them.

The number of bees is falling rapidly. Beekeepers around the world are aware of a problem called “colony collapse” in which entire colonies of bees mysteriously die or “disappear”. California almond crops depend on bees for pollination. No bees = no almonds. US beekeepers are already importing bees from Australia in large numbers to pollinate essential food crops. Australia is the only remaining continent that has so far escaped the plague. America, Africa, Asia and Europe are experiencing a drastic drop in the number of bees.

So where do bees go? There are some virulent viruses that attack bees. The Varroa destructor -1 virus (VDV1) is an old suspect and, although it has been around for some time, it is usually fatal to a bee colony. More recently, scientists discovered the Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), to which most bees are susceptible, although Australian bees appear to have developed immunity. This may explain why Australian bees are not falling off with the collapse of the colony, and gives reason for hope to develop bee immunity on other continents.

As with humans, the ability to build immunity depends on good health. Stress weakens immunity and makes us more prone to disease. Believe it or not, commercial bees are often “stressed”, compromising their immunity to disease. You may be wondering: what could “stress” a bee? Well, we do: humans.

One day the bees are busy and they do different jobs in a hive. Depending on your job, as a bee, you can spend the day creating wax to build and repair the hive, or producing honey to feed the larvae and other bees, or suckling and feeding the larvae, or going out to collect pollen, which is necessary. to eat and make honey, and bring it back to the hive.

As the bees collect pollen from flowers, they also collect the chemicals that have been used in that culture. One study found 25 different pesticides on a single bee. This is a fatal chemical overload. Their bodies are working overtime to flush out chemical toxins, so they have no resources left to build their immune systems and resist viral infections.

To add insult to injury, we then truck our weakened bees over thousands of miles where we wait for them to pollinate extensive agricultural crops. (Exposing them to more chemical contamination).

Overworked, in unnatural conditions and poisoned by pesticides, our little bees have no chance when they come into contact with these deadly viruses.

We need to take much better care of our bees. Make sure they are healthy and develop sustainable ways to work them, keep them healthy, and support them in developing resistance to disease. If not, who knows what we will lose. We may not even realize it until it’s too late.

How can you help:

The good news is that in some areas, bees survive better in cities where they are safe from crop spraying. This means that we can make a huge difference in our own backyards.

• Respect the role of bees and let them live.
• Educate others about the importance and vulnerable situation of bees.
• Teach your kids how special bees are when it comes to our food.
• Share your awareness and gratitude for the bees.
• Let’s agree, bees need our help.
• Plant more flowering plants, plan and refrain from using chemicals in your own backyard. There are many alternatives to fumigation. (For example: the ladybug larvae will eat the green fly and other aphids, and you can buy them from specialized suppliers)
• Do some research on alternatives to spraying.
• Consider buying or making a bee house to support the bees.
• If you like unusual hobbies, you can consider beekeeping. In London, UK, for example, ordinary people are setting up bee hives in their backyards and on rooftops. In towns and cities there are fewer chemicals and more people who can make a difference. It could be the inhabitants of cities and towns who save our bees.
• Involve! Support organic farmers.
• Buy organic produce as much as possible to send a clear message that you don’t want crops that have been sprayed.
• Support groups, businesses and charities that are helping bees.
• Write, campaign, ask your political representatives to raise awareness on this issue.