Within the last decade, 30 percent of the national bee population has disappeared, and a third of all colonies in the United States have perished. Bees are some of the hardest working animals on the planet. They are the protectors of the food chain. If bees weren’t around, the world would be a very different place. Bees need to be protected.

Bees are responsible for pollinating approximately 400 different plants, and about 84% of the crops that are grown for human consumption. Annually, bees pollinate around $19 billion worth of agricultural crops in the United States alone. We are reliant on bees for our food source. Without our buzzing friends, there would be no coffee in the mornings, no chocolate for our sweet tooth, no broccoli, asparagus, or cucumbers to nourish us. There would be no blueberries, watermelon, apples, cranberries or cherries. There wouldn’t even be beef to eat or milk to drink, considering the food grown for livestock is all pollinated by bees. Without bees, we would have nothing.

The declining bee population may be due to pesticides, environmental changes, and genetically modified products.