Without bees, much of the food we eat and the plants we enjoy wouldn’t exist.
The power of pollination
Bees are pollinators, which means they help plants reproduce. As bees travel from flower to flower collecting nectar, pollen sticks to their bodies and gets transferred to other flowers. This process, called pollination, helps plants form seeds and grow fruit.
Did you know? Around 75% of flowering plants and about 35% of global food crops depend on pollinators like bees.
Without bees, crops like apples, blueberries, cucumbers, almonds, and melons would be much harder to grow.
More than just honey
While pollination is the bees’ most important job, honeybees also produce honey, wax, and even propolis (a sticky substance bees use to protect their hives). These products have been used by humans for thousands of years: for food, medicine, and candles.
Bees keep ecosystems alive
When bees thrive, entire ecosystems can flourish. Bees don’t just help farms grow fruits and vegetables; they play a vital role in keeping wild ecosystems healthy too.
When bees visit wildflowers to collect nectar and pollen, they help those plants reproduce by spreading their pollen from flower to flower. These wildflowers then produce seeds and grow new plants, which serve as food and shelter for many other living things.
From butterflies and beetles to birds and small mammals, a wide variety of creatures depend on these plants for survival. This chain of life that bees help maintain is called biodiversity. It means there are many different types of plants and animals living and working together in balance.
What’s threatening the bees?
In recent years, bee populations have dropped. Some reasons include:
Pesticides: Chemicals sprayed on crops can poison bees.
Habitat loss: Cities and farms often replace natural flower-filled habitats.
Diseases and parasites: Mites and viruses harm bee colonies.
Climate change: Shifts in temperature affect when flowers bloom and how bees survive.
How you can help
Even kids can be bee protectors. Here's how:
Plant bee-friendly flowers (like lavender, clover, or marigolds).
Avoid using chemical sprays in your garden.
Build a bee hotel using bamboo sticks or cardboard tubes.
