Beekeeping

What will happen if bees disappear: the consequences of extinction and the situation on Earth now

What will happen if bees disappear: the consequences of extinction and the situation on Earth now
Anonim

Bees play an important role in nature and human life. These unique insects take part in the pollination of plants. Thanks to this, they help to increase the yield and viability of crops. However, in recent years, the population of these insects has been rapidly declining. Therefore, many people are interested in what will happen if the bees completely disappear.

What role do bees play in nature

These insects are at the beginning of the food chain. This means that if they completely die out on Earth, this will lead to the destruction of the entire chain. At the same time, its links will gradually disappear one by one.

Bees take part in the pollination of 80% of agricultural plants. These mainly include fruit trees and shrubs. The reduction in the bee population has already led to a strong reduction in the harvest of apples and almonds. It is these plants that have suffered the most from the extinction of pollinators. At the same time, the yield of even self-pollinating crops drops.

Possible causes of extinction

The exact causes of the mass death of insects are unknown. However, the most likely reasons for their decline include:

  • use of insecticides;
  • spread of harmful bacteria;
  • cold winters;
  • widespread varroa mites;
  • bee colony destruction syndrome;
  • mass infection with microsporidia Nosema apis;
  • appearance of 4G communication;
  • electromagnetic radiation.

Analysis of the reasons for the extinction of beneficial insects continues to this day, although their population first began to decline about a hundred years ago - after the First World War.

The death of bees in Russia is associated with the same factors as all over the world. The most likely causes of problems include:

  • use of chemicals in agriculture;
  • climate change;
  • diseases;
  • spread of varroa mites.

Greed is considered one of the typical Russian reasons for the extinction of bees. Even if the beekeeper breeds insects only for honey, he usually takes more than he should. After that, the bee colony is fed with sugar syrup to restore stocks and have a successful wintering.In this case, the absorption of sugar weakens insects. At first, this is not very noticeable, but subsequently the colony simply dies.

Also, the use of pesticides in neighboring farms is considered the cause of the extinction of insects. Many Russian agricultural companies use cheap chemicals that pose a danger to beneficial individuals.

What happens if the bees disappear

Bees are an important part of the ecosystem. Already, scientists are analyzing the possibilities of increasing their viability and deciding what will happen in the event of complete extinction.

It must be said that the forecasts are not very bright. With the extinction of bees, there is a risk of mass reproduction of parasitic insects and a decrease in the yield of many plants that are valuable to people.

In addition, the extinction of valuable individuals will lead to the disappearance of a unique product - honey, which is actively used in cosmetology and the food industry.Plants that need to be cross-pollinated will not produce. As a result, more than half of the berries and fruits will disappear. In addition, cotton fields will remain without pollination, which will negatively affect the development of the textile industry.

Current situation

According to statistics, a sharp decline in the bee population occurred in 2006. According to the World Bee Fund, colonies shrink by 20-35% every winter. This cannot be considered the norm, since in the cold season the loss of bees should not exceed 10%.

About 33% of the planet's food resources need to be pollinated by insects. Approximately 90% of these functions are performed by bees. Today, the need for pollination has increased by 25%. At the same time, the number of bees, on the contrary, is reduced.

Recovery of numbers

In Russia, the Center for the Revival of Natural Beekeeping is solving the problem of the extinction of valuable insects. This organization has developed a program to restore bee colonies.

According to beekeepers, the main way to save insects from death is to return to their familiar environment. Putting the plan into action will require 50,000 beekeepers to oversee their apiaries of at least 10 hives. At the same time, it is important to abandon the use of sugar and insecticidal drugs.

According to the plan, every year for 16 years it is required to release 70% of the swarm. After the implementation of the program, approximately 8 million bee colonies should appear in the forests.

The extinction of bees is considered a global problem that could cause an environmental disaster. To avoid this, it is important to properly grow insects and minimize the use of chemicals in the fields.

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