When I was 5 years old I was really scared of bees... I mean REALLY scared. At the time, I’m sure I wished that bees didn’t exist. And unfortunately, my misinformed dream from long ago may be coming true.
For almost a decade, bees have been dying off at an alarming rate: up to 30% of the bee population dies off every year, costing the US an estimated $2 billion in domesticated honeybee hives. Studies suggest this is due to commercially used pesticides which contain “neonicotinoids”... just saying that word sounds unhealthy.
Now, before 5-year-old-Iriana has a full blown out party celebrating the decline of bees, let me just say, this is a huge problem for those of us that like to eat.
Bees are the main pollinators of fruits and nuts. This means our food options would be very greatly limited if bees were to die off--that’s no more coffee, coconut, avocados, apples, mangoes, cucumbers, onions, lemons, limes, etc etc etc. So when life gives you lemons, kill off all the bees. Ha ha ha, just kidding.
Anyway, thanks to our former president Barack (yea, were close enough to be on a first name basis) the government created a national strategy to improve the health of key pollinators like bees. Yay! Someone is actually doing something about this.
But, before you start thinking that were all good because Barack saved us (Thanks Obama... *non sarcastic*), I’m here to put another damper on things. Sad face. Its not just the nasty chemical neonicotinoids killing off our bee friends.
Climate change, of course, also has a huge impact. Since the 70s, bees have lost 200 miles off the south end of both the US and Europe. This trend is going at a rate of about five miles per year. This, coupled with temperature changes that are compressing the space in which bees are fit to live, is restricting the pollinators even further.
Become a bee activist by clicking HERE ! Save the avocados! Save the coconut oil! Save the world!
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