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Sydney Atkinson, Sarah Nadir, Sam Carner, Peyton Korte Period 2

Bees in the Environment Background


Bees are responsible for pollinating about one-sixth of the flowering plant species worldwide and
approximately 400 different agricultural types of plant
the majority of the planets 100 most important food crops depend on insect pollination
they provide us with helped produce approximately $19 billion worth of agricultural crops in the U.S. alone
in 2010 ( of everything we eat)
25,000 different types of bee species
The Apidae family is perhaps the most well known family, with familiar members such as the honeybee,
carpenter bee, and bumblebee
All bees have stiff hairs and pockets on their legs, allowing them to collect more pollen and be more
efficient transporters of it between plants.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male part of the flower, the anther, to the stigma, which is the
female part of the flower. Upon the twos meeting, a plants seed, nut, or fruit is then formed.
Bees also tend to focus their energies on one species of plant at a time. By visiting the same flowers of a
particular species in one outing, much higher quality pollination occurs
For much of the past 10 years, beekeepers, primarily in the United States and Europe, have been reporting
annual hive losses of 30 percent or higher
In winter, many U.S. beekeepers experienced losses of 40 to 50 percent or more
To save bee populations, the EC action will restrict the use of three major neonicotinoids on seeds and
plants attractive to bees, as well as grains, beginning December 1. I pledge to my utmost to ensure that our
bees, which are so vital to our ecosystem and contribute over 22 billion Euros [$29 billion] annually to
European agriculture, are protected, said European Union Health Commissioner Tonio Borg.
In the U.S., several national environmental advocacy organizations and commercial beekeepers
filed suit in March against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its conditional
registration of certain neonicotinoids, contending that the agency did not properly ensure
environmental health protections, particularly with respect to pollinators.
the EPA is working with pesticide and agricultural equipment manufacturers to reduce the release
of neonicotinoid-contaminated dust during planting
Tucker, other beekeepers, and entomologists say that the cause of colony collapse disorder is likely a
combination of factors that includes the widespread use of pesticides and fungicides, as well as the spread
of viral pathogens and parasitic mites in beehives
neonicotinoids can lead to a sharp decline in queen bees in colonies and can also interfere with the ability
of bees to navigate back to their hives
In the U.S., neonicotinoids are currently used on about 95 percent of corn and canola crops; the majority of
cotton, sorghum, and sugar beets; and about half of all soybeans
Sydney Atkinson, Sarah Nadir, Sam Carner, Peyton Korte Period 2

Neonicotinoids attack insects by harming their nervous systems and are considered of low toxicity to
mammals. They are also typically used as systemic pesticides meaning that they stay with the plant as it
grows and are applied as seed treatments, to roots, or into tree trunks, rather than applied with as a spray.
This greatly reduces the potential for human exposure compared to other pesticides.
it raises questions about the potential for bees to be exposed through nectar, pollen, or leaf surface
moisture
There is no way to prevent exposure to these chemicals. The only question is the exposure level, whether
that is a problem or not. The pesticide industry claims not. The beekeeping industry says yes. -Steve Ellis
Theres going to be a shortage of bees in this entire growing season, Frazier said of the U.S. situation.
The ability to replace bees that have been lost has been exhausted, so theres a very large question mark
about next year. Whether weve reached a point of no return, we dont know.
Bees pollinate 71 of the 100 plants that provide 90% of the world's food, including apples, avocados,
strawberries, and watermelons.
More than $15 billion a year in U.S. crops are pollinated by bees, including apples, berries, cantaloupes,
cucumbers, alfalfa, and almonds
U.S. honey bees also produce about $150 million in honey annually
Keeping bee populations safe is critical for keeping American tables stocked with high-quality produce
and our agriculture sector running smoothly
Beekeepers first sounded the alarm about disappearing bees in the United States in 2006
Healthy bees were simply abandoning their hives en masse
Nearly one-third of all honey bee colonies in the United States have vanished
Researchers think this Colony Collapse Disorder may be caused by a number of interwoven factors:
Global warming, which has caused flowers to bloom earlier or later than usual. When pollinators
come out of hibernation, the flowers that provide the food they need to start the season have
already bloomed.
Pesticide use on farms. Some toxic pesticides meant to kill pests can harm the honey bees needed
for pollination. Many pesticides banned by other countries because they harm bees are still
available in the United States.
Habitat loss brought about by development, abandoned farms, growing crops without leaving
habitat for wildlife, and growing gardens with flowers that are not friendly to pollinators.
Parasites such as harmful mites
We can fix this problem by
Farmers must be rewarded for practices that help wild bee populations thrive, such as leaving
habitat for bees in their surrounding fields, alternating crops so bees have food all year long, and
not using harmful pesticides. Assistance should be provided to farmers who plan to support a
wider variety of pollinators beyond just bees.
Sydney Atkinson, Sarah Nadir, Sam Carner, Peyton Korte Period 2

Bee research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) must be strengthened, and must also be broadened to include research on
pollinators besides honey bees.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques should be used to minimize pesticide use and risk
to bees. By promoting beneficial insects to prey on pests, disrupting pests habitat and using
least-toxic products when necessary, IPM methods can provide effective, cost-effect pest control
while reducing risks to pollinators. NRDC research finds that USDA is missing critical
opportunities to promote IPM when allocating billions of dollars through Farm Bill conservation
programs.
City dwellers can also practice IPM where they live, work, and play to protect our health, water
quality, and pollinators. (nrdc source)
Bees visit flowers because they need to eat. They derive all of the protein they need in their diet from floral
pollen, and all of the carbohydrates they need from floral nectar. As they fly from flower to flower,
collecting pollen on their fuzzy bodies to take home as food, they end up transferring pollen from one
blossom to another of the same floral species, and pollination just happens
Dying bees scream a message to us that they cannot survive in our current agricultural and urban
environments
Now, bees have trouble finding pollen and nectar sources because of the extensive use of
herbicides that kill off so many flowering plants among crops and in ditches, roadsides and lawns.
Blood-sucking parasites, viruses and other bee pathogens have been inadvertently transmitted to
bees throughout the world
We need to inform people around us and especially kids about the importance of bees, and without them
many crops would die
Bees are known to be decreasing in population and we need to find away to reverse that
To make a difference we can avoid pesticides and inform others about the harm and also grow more
flowers
Administrations propose spending $82.5 million on honeybee research in the upcoming budget year, up $34
million from now.
ALso many agencies seek to expanding/restoring acres of land to grow plants for the bees
I saw something on social media saying that Cyborg insects as dragonflies are outfitted with cutting-edge
navigation systems, turning them into tiny cyborg drones. Draper, the biomedical solutions lab that
designed the dragonflies, wants to use them to monitor endangered bee species.
Sydney Atkinson, Sarah Nadir, Sam Carner, Peyton Korte Period 2


Sydney Atkinson, Sarah Nadir, Sam Carner, Peyton Korte Period 2

Sources:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-bees-are-important-to-our-planet/
http://e360.yale.edu/features/declining_bee_populations_pose_a_threat_to_global_agriculture
http://www.environmentamerica.org/sites/environment/files/cpn/AMN-012617-A1-ISSUE/issue2.html
https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/bees.pdf
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/17/opinion/spivak-loss-of-bees/
https://www.foe.co.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/bees_education_booklet.pdf
http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/missing-bees.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-us-government-is-trying-to-save-the-declining-honeybee-population-2015-5
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/industrial-robots/draper-dragonfleye-project

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