Bees form the backbone of our food system. (TB studio / Shutterstock.com)
Believe it or not, bees are the foundation of the human food chain; in other words - without bees we would not be able to eat. Yes, those buzzing insects that can sometimes appear threatening with their infamous stingers are the backbone of the majority of our food production, from fruits and nuts, to vegetables and flowers. In 2006, a startling phenomenon occurred in the United States and abroad: it was discovered that over one-third of all bee colonies had vanished. While the reasons for this upsetting trend were largely unknown, it has been deduced that harmful insecticides are the culprits causing the massive bee disappearance, known as colony collapse disorder. Other factors such as environmental stressors and disease are also seen to be contributing factors to bees’ decline. Happily, people have begun to take notice, and actively work to reverse the gloomy predicament by mobilizing to ban insecticides and operating nonprofits that are raising awareness and providing technology for people to come to the rescue of bees. Buff up on your bee facts so that you may be an advocate for these fascinating creatures, who have a major impact on our lives.
1. EVERY BITE YOU TAKE IS THANKS TO A BEE
About one mouthful in three in our diet directly or indirectly benefits from honey bee pollination.
Bees pollinate watermelons, making this delicious fruit available for us to eat. (Anita Patterson Peppers Shutterstock.com)
2. HONEY IS MONEY
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that honey bees pollinate 80 percent of the country’s insect crops—meaning bees pollinate over $20 billion worth of crops each year.
Crops are growing thanks to bees. (Fotokostic / Shutterstock.com)
3. THE POWER OF POLLINATION
Buzzing bees pollinate around one-sixth of all the flowering species worldwide and approximately 400 different agricultural types of plant.
A bee pollinating a flower. (Daniel Prudek / Shutterstock.com)
4. HONEY IS HEALTHY
That sweet bee-made nectar is one of the only foods that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and water. Honey also contains "pinocembrin", an antioxidant associated with improved brain function.
Honey (Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com)
5. BUMBLE BEES HAVE A HIGH FUNCTIONING INTERNAL GPS SYSTEM
Bumble bees are capable of figuring out the shortest possible routes between flowers, flying in the most time-efficient course even if they discover the flowers are in a different order. Known as the computational traveling salesman problem, computers solve this by comparing the lengths of all possible routes and then selecting the shortest. Bees are the only known animals to have this uncanny ability.
Bees know their exact destination and the most efficient way to arrive. (RUKSUTAKARN studio / Shutterstock.com)
6. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BUZZ
The honey bee's wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, making their distinctive buzz. Using those fast-flapping wings, a typical honey bee can fly for up to 6 miles and as fast as 15 miles per hour.
Bees in motion. (MakroBetz / Shutterstock.com)
7. BEES HAVE AN ANCIENT HISTORY
In Spain, cave paintings from 7000 BC have been found, showing the earliest records of beekeeping, and fossils of honey bees have been recovered dating back to some 150 million years ago.
Fossilized bees in amber. (Miguel Moyano / Shutterstock.com)
