As you can see, the number of bee colonies in the United States has been dropping drastically since 1945. In 1945 the number of bee colonies in the US equaled over 5.5 million. Now, just 69 years later that number has dropped to below 2.5 million. These drastic changes are caused by the improper use of chemicals people use on their gardens, their loss of habitat, harsh weather and air pollution. More than 30-90% of honey bees die each year. Scientists call this dramatic decrease Colony Collapse Disorder.
Pesticides Pesticides are a great concern, debate and topic of research for many scientists, gardeners and beekeepers. There are many different opinions about how fatal chemicals are to bees. They are dangerous and deadly to many plant eating insects, but even if they are applied correctly, are pesticides a main killer to honey bees?
Weather Winter is also a major killer for honey bees. In Minnesota, where temperatures can drop below -30 degrees, it is extremely hard for the honey bees to keep warm and find enough food. Statistics show, that during winter, 30-90% of the bees in one colony can die. This is a huge loss for entire hive. If there are not enough bees to run the hive, eventually the entire colony collapses.
This is a major problem for farmers and all gardeners. Bees are crucial to the growth and health of agricultural crops and all of nature. Without honey bees, flowers would not bloom, vegetables would not grow, and no honey would be made.
'“More than three-fourths of the world's flowering plants rely on pollinators, such as bees, to reproduce, meaning pollinators help produce one out of every three bites of food Americans eat,” the US Department of Agriculture said in a statement about the survey. Bees’ pollinating role adds $15 billion to the value of U.S. crops, including apples, almonds, watermelons and beans, according to government reports.'
We want to make sure this doesn't happen. Even though we can't create national or international laws preventing the use of chemicals, and protecting the habitats of honey bees, we are able to help our neighborhood realize the importance of honey bees. As we researched bees in Edina, we found that the idea of legalizing bees is becoming more and more popular. Now that we have achieved our goal of legalizing beekeeping, we hope to go further and reach out to local schools and neighboring cities to follow our example.
Go to SOS-BEES for more statistics and to read in detail about the decline, death, and issue of the bees.