If you are reading this, you are probably a big fan of bees already – maybe almost as much as we are. But do you know about all the amazing work that bees do for us? Pollination is the big one – one in every three mouthfuls of food that we eat is pollinated by bees and other essential pollinators, meaning that we are dependent on them for food production, but bees offer even more than this vital service. Read on to find out some other ways that bees support us.
Bees make plants stronger
Bees and other pollinators help plants to reproduce by transferring pollen from one flower to another – you already know that, though, right? What you may not know is that the more bees visiting each plant, the more genetic diversity that plant’s offspring will benefit from, leading to stronger, more resilient plants that are more resistant to diseases, pests and climate change.
Bees help boost biodiversity
Bees and other pollinators help nearly 90% of the world’s flowering wild plants to reproduce, which is more than 300,000 species. These plants provide a vital foundation for the world’s ecosystem, including habitat, food and shelter for countless insects and animals. Pollinators help to regenerate forests, meadows, wetlands and other types of ecosystems throughout the world, improving the health of the entire planet.
Bees are environmental health indicators
Bees and other pollinators are very sensitive to changes and disruptions in an ecosystem, and they can alert us to wider environmental threats. Keeping a close eye on pollinator populations and watching for any decline gives us clues about wider threats to the environment, helping safeguard the ecosystems that sustain life.
Bee venom could have medical applications
Bee venom has been used in alternative medicine to treat illnesses and relieve pain and inflammation for thousands of years. Recent research into bee venom therapy, or apitherapy, shows it could have massive potential for treating diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Parkinson’s and more. Further research is needed to uncover the full benefits of bee venom, but initial studies are promising. Read more: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6720840/
Bees provide a livelihood
In developing countries, beekeeping can provide a vital source of income for communities and families. The charity Bees Abroad works with NGOs and communities across Africa to share beekeeping knowledge and resources. As well as producing honey and beeswax that can be harvested and sold, bees help to pollinate farmers’ crops and offer them all the above benefits, such as increased biodiversity and more resilient plants. Bees also help protect crops from being destroyed or eaten by elephants, who instinctively avoid bees. Farmers in Kenya use a ‘fence’ of beehives to deter elephants from approaching their farms, protecting themselves, their crops and the elephants.
If you want to do the bees and solid and help support them, you can plant some wildflowers with My Square Metre. We have planted almost 1.5 MILLION wildflowers in our own meadows and onsite for our partner businesses, and we can plant some for you too! Click here to plant wildflowers in the My Square Metre meadows, or buy your own wildflower seeds in our shop.
