The environment and humans rely heavily on bees to pollinate the crops that we eat. Unfortunately, most bee populations around the world are gradually declining, along with countless other animals and insects. Many colonies die off due to excessive pesticide use and habitat loss, but several suffer from Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and other diseases. Understanding the environmental consequences of bee disease is the first step to opening your eyes to the dangers of bee extinction.
Decreased Pollination
Their ability to pollinate effortlessly is the number one reason bees are so incredibly important to the environment. If bee diseases continue to wipe out the bee population, there will be a domino effect throughout every ecosystem. Bees pollinate various plants, and these will die off first without human intervention.
Next, the lack of living and thriving plants would cause the extinction of other species and animals dependent on bee-pollinated plants. Many plants will use other pollinators, like butterflies, but bees are the most successful pollinators.
High-Cost Farming
If pollination decreases, farmers will have less cost-effective crop options. It would be too expensive and time-consuming to pollinate an entire field of crops by hand or using robots. As a result, farmers would have to cut back their crop growth, and the availability and diversity of fresh produce would drastically decline.
Potential Famine
As the availability of food sources decreases, our nutrition would most likely suffer. With food sources at an all-time low, there could be a nationwide or even worldwide famine. Unfortunately, the fall of the bee population could ultimately cause a fall in the human population as well.
Although bees might not seem very important to you, the environmental consequences of bee disease are shocking and potentially life-threatening. Without bees, life would look very different, and you might not be able to eat enough food to maintain proper nutrition. With that in mind, you can do your part to protect the bee population from diseases and declining by purchasing honeybee nucs and becoming a beekeeper, planting many bee-friendly plants, and avoiding pesticide use.