Bees play an important role in nature and human life. These unique insects take part in plant pollination. Thanks to this, they help increase crop yields and viability. However, recently the population of these insects has been rapidly declining. That’s why many people are interested in what will happen if bees completely disappear.
What role do bees play in nature?
These insects are at the beginning of the food chain. This means that if they become completely extinct on Earth, it will lead to the destruction of the entire chain. At the same time, its links will gradually disappear one after another.
Bees take part in pollinating 80% of agricultural plants. These mainly include fruit trees and bushes. The decline in bee populations has already led to severe reductions in apple and almond harvests. It is these plants that have suffered the most from the extinction of pollinators. At the same time, the yield of even self-pollinating crops decreases.
Possible causes of extinction
The exact reasons for the mass death of insects are unknown. However, the most likely reasons for their population decline include:
- use of insecticides;
- spread of harmful bacteria;
- cold winters;
- widespread distribution of varroa mites;
- bee colony destruction syndrome;
- mass infection with microsporidia Nosema apis;
- the emergence of 4G communications;
- electromagnetic radiation.
Analysis of the reasons for the extinction of beneficial insects continues to this day, although their population first began to decline about a hundred years ago - after the First World War.
The death of bees in Russia is associated with the same factors as throughout the world. The most likely causes of problems include:
- use of chemicals in agriculture;
- climate change;
- diseases;
- spread of varroa mites.
One of the typical Russian reasons for the extinction of bees is considered to be greed. Even if a beekeeper breeds insects only for honey, he usually takes more than he should. After which the bee colony is fed with sugar syrup to restore reserves and have a safe winter. At the same time, the absorption of sugar weakens the insects. At first this is not too noticeable, but later the colony simply dies.
What happens if bees disappear
Bees are an important part of the ecosystem. Scientists are already analyzing the possibilities of increasing their viability and deciding what will happen in the event of complete disappearance.
It must be said that the forecasts are not too rosy. When bees become extinct, there is a risk of massive proliferation of parasitic insects and a decrease in the yield of many plants that are valuable to people.
In addition, the extinction of valuable individuals will lead to the disappearance of a unique product - honey, which is actively used in cosmetology and the food industry. Plants that require cross-pollination will not produce crops. As a result, more than half of the berries and fruits will disappear. In addition, cotton fields will remain without pollination, which will negatively affect the development of the textile industry.
Current situation
According to statistics, sharp declines in the bee population occurred in 2006. According to the World Bee Fund, colonies shrink by 20-35% every winter. This cannot be considered the norm, since in the cold season, bee losses should not exceed 10%.
About 33% of the planet's food supply requires pollination by insects. Approximately 90% of these functions are performed by bees. Today, the need for pollination has increased by 25%. At the same time, the number of bees, on the contrary, is decreasing.
Restoration of numbers
In Russia, the Center for the Revival of Natural Beekeeping is addressing the problem of extinction of valuable insects. This organization has developed a program for restoring bee colonies.
According to beekeepers, the main way to save insects from death is to return to their familiar environment. To put the plan into action, 50 thousand beekeepers will be needed to monitor their apiaries, consisting of at least 10 hives. It is important to stop using sugar and insecticides.
The extinction of bees is considered a global problem that could cause an environmental disaster. To avoid this, it is important to properly raise insects and minimize the use of chemicals in the fields.
