Save the bees.

There are an estimated 2 billion bees left in the world.

Each year, in the winter, a bee colony loses some of its bees. Typically, that number is between 5-10%. Now, in the United States, those numbers are 30% or more each winter. (Greenpeace.org) This is a very high number to try to replace in the spring.

Bees are losing their homes due to habitat destruction, pesticide use, and Varroa mites. When a honeybee’s health is compromised with pesticides, the mites have a much easier time taking down the hive. These mites have been a huge problem for the bee population. Unfortunately, there is not much legislation on protecting the bees from the pesticides.

Bees help pollinate many of the foods we eat. Commercial honey bees are used to help out growers that have acres of crops that need to be pollinated. If these commercial honey bee sites continue to have difficult years with the bees, they may shut down, which will in turn affect the crops being pollinated.

Another huge issue with our bee population is called colony collapse disorder. This means that an entire colony of bees has died, but from an unknown reason. It was thought that pesticide use was the sole cause of this issue, but now it is thought it could be coming from something fed to the bees since the 70’s.

Beekeepers have been feeding high fructose corn syrup to bees as a replacement for the honey they take from the hive to feed us. Unlike the honey in the hive that bees would eat, high fructose corn syrup does not contain all the toxin fighting properties the bees need to fight the pesticides and other toxins they come in contact with. So, basically the corn syrup is compromising the bees immune system. We need to stop replacing THEIR honey with something for OUR gain.

As a vegan, I do not eat honey anymore. Bees are yet another species that could benefit from us not using them as a food source. Bees are an integral part of the food chain, and if they are gone, then the plants they pollinate could disappear, and then those animals that need those plants for food could disappear.

The health of bees should be a top consideration of animal welfare groups and they should be a priority for government agencies in relation to pesticide use.

For myself, I will refrain from using any products that come from bees until the population recovers. I will support legislation that helps save the bees from further harm and that will boost their numbers back where they should be.