[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EW-07-15-14-Saving-the-Bees.mp3|titles=EW 07-15-14 Saving the Bees]
In recent years, bee populations have been shrinking at an alarming rate. According to the Department of Agriculture, managed honeybee colonies lost almost a quarter of their numbers over the past winter alone. These rapid declines in bees and other pollinators in the United States threaten billions of dollars in crops.
Honeybees pollinate plants that produce about a quarter of our food. Crops that depend on bees include apples, lemons, broccoli, avocados, carrots and almonds. The economic value of honeybee pollination is estimated to be over $15 billion a year in the US. Wild pollinators such as bumblebees contribute billions of dollars more to the agriculture industry.
The decline of bee colonies in recent years is not fully understood. Many factors are at play including the loss of natural forage, mite infestations and diseases, the loss of genetic diversity, and exposure to certain pesticides. There is also something called colony collapse disorder – a rapid, unexpected and catastrophic loss of bees in a hive – that has been happening with disturbing frequency. Some environmental groups have singled out pesticides as the major culprit.
The White House has announced that the federal government must address this problem. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture are leading a multi-agency task force in order to develop an action plan within six months. Farmers and ranchers in five states are being paid to establish new bee habitats. The loss of pollinators is a very serious matter. It is essential that we save the bees.
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White House announces strategy to save the honeybees
Photo, posted September 10, 2008, courtesy of Christine Majul via Flickr.
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