People despise those pesky yellow and black striped bugs, as they are everywhere during the spring and summer. However, this unwanted insect plays a large role in our world, due to their work as pollinators and their connection to rich foods.
One of the most aggravating activities of these bees is the stinging. Many do not know that bees only sting when they believe their hive is in danger or when they are being attacked. Adding on, this lack of knowledge about the behaviors of bees leads people to despise the insect.
Without bees, humans would not have food available in grocery stores as most foods in grocery stores, including fruits and vegetables, are created as a result of these pollinators. Additionally, without bees, flowers would not be able to reproduce as bees are responsible for 90% of flower reproduction.
Bees also create honey, with just one colony creating 60 to 100 pounds of honey annually. This honey has been used for medicinal purposes for years, even in Ancient Egypt, as honey can be used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent.
Due to this organism's two major duties, pollinating and creating honey, many farmers have had successful business, therefore providing a stable income for them.
These bees serve many purposes for our world, but they have been dying at a large rate. Despite numerous investigations and studies, scientists can not narrow down the cause of the increase in bee deaths to one reason, rather multiple.
One major reason for the increase in deaths is the increase in use of pesticides. Many hives contain pesticides, which can impact the health of bees. One of the insecticides used is neonicotinoids, which can impair bee memory, therefore impacting the amount of years that they live. Another reason that the population of bees is decreasing is due to habitat destruction, in the forms of human extracting resources, human settlements and other human related activities.
These organisms are vital for everyday lives, therefore, it is important that people do as much as they can to protect them. They should try to avoid using chemical pesticides near hives and even donating to bee saving groups.
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