The Buzz Around Bees

Growing up in Hawaii I was surrounded by so much natural beauty. The Wai’anae and Ko’olau Mountains made the valley where I lived. To even reach my city, Wahiawa, you had to drive on a bridge that was built over Lake Wilson. To me, the true beauty of Hawaii lies in one special tree, the plumeria tree. The flowers that sprout out of it are almost velvety to the touch, have a sweet citrus scent, and many beautiful color combinations. The plumeria and the millions of other flower species existence relies on a very special animal, the bee. Sadly, worldwide bees of all types are in decline and so too might be one of my favorite flowers.

The backyard of my childhood home was lined with royal poinciana trees. The branches towered over me like a skyscraper and the yellow flowers shone as bright as the sun. You see, cutting through my backyard was a shortcut for the walk to school. However, I was always terrified because I could see them darting from flower to flower; their wings rapidly beating, causing a loud vibration in the air. I was once stung by a bee and I was determined to not relive that painful ordeal. Every time that I had to cut through my backyard I would run as fast as I could so the bees wouldn’t get me. Looking back at that scene makes me chuckle. I wish I could tell that little girl who was so terrified that there was no need to be, that those bees are vital to our ecosystems, and that those juicy bright red strawberries I loved to eat, well, you can thank the bees for those too.

There are around 20,000 species of bees, only one of them is the common honeybee. Bee populations have been declining globally in recent years. The U.S. National Agricultural Statistics show a honeybee decline from about 6 million hives in 1947 to 2.4 million hives in 2008, a 60 percent reduction. In 2016 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave the endangered status to seven species of bees native to the islands of Hawaii. Then in 2017 the same organization placed the rusty patched bumblebee onto the endangered list as well. I truly hope that these aren’t just random numbers to you, these statistics are important, eye-opening, and terrifying to me.

Bees provide an incredibly important ecosystem service, pollination, which makes food production possible. At least 30% of the world’s crops and 90% of all plants require cross-pollination to spread and thrive. It’s estimated that one third of the food we eat each day relies on pollination from bees. Most of our crops are sprayed with pesticides, pesticides are chemicals that are used to kill pests that would damage the crops. While these pesticides are regulated to be safe for human consumption, they can be deadly to bees. The European Union banned some of the most dangerous pesticides, neonics, in 2018; later the United States Environmental Protection Agency would ban 12 types of neonics. To save the bees, we must fix our destructive agricultural system and return to organic farming.

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” (Swan). How can you help save the bees? I’m glad you asked. For starters you could plant your very own bee garden while avoiding using pesticides. Be sure to research and fill it with plants that bees are attracted to, such as lavender, mint, and sage. Leave out a dish of water for bees to drink out of, with rocks or twigs for them to land on. Another way is to shop responsibly for your food. Check out your local farmers markets or your community garden. If you don’t have access to those, choosing organic is also an option. Whatever action you choose to help save the bees will have a lasting impact for future generations. Perhaps one day my great-grandchildren will hold a plumeria up to their nose and breathe in its sweet aroma.