Honey bee populations are declining at a very fast rate. Most scientists link this to a type of insecticide called neonicotinoids, which are known to cause acute and chronic poisoning not just of one bee, but the entire colony.
Here are eight reasons why bees are awesome, and why we should care about their rapid population decline:
1. Bees are the only insect in the world that make food that humans can eat.
One in every three bites of food depends on bees for pollination, and the annual value of pollination services worldwide are estimated at over $125 billion.
2. Bees have extraordinary eyesight.
Bees use their five eyes to see an incredible amount more than humans. They can perceive movement at a rate six times that of humans.
3. They got the need for speed.
A honey bee can fly 24 km in an hour at a speed of 15 mph. Its wings beat 200 times per second or 12,000 beats per minute.
4. Bees love to dance.
They communicate through pheromones and a dance called the, "waggle dance," when alerting each other about food.
5. Bees are addicted to caffeine.
Plants use caffeine to repel harmful insects, however bees are attracted to caffeine, making it easier for them to pollinate.
6. They are really productive.
Bees produce about 100 pounds of extra honey, which is the honey beekeepers collect. Alongside the hive producing honey, they also produce beeswax, propolis, and royal jelly.
7. They live short, but great lives.
The average life of a honey bee during the working season is about three to six weeks.
8. The bees are dying off, but you can do something about it!
Nearly one-third of all honeybees in the United States have died in the last few years. However, there are plenty of environmental protection groups working to stop the use of harmful insecticides on crops.
Information pulled from:
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agricult...
http://earthjustice.org/blog/2015-april/11-amazing...
