War zones, Microplastics, Light Pollution — New Manmade Threats For Bees

Pollinators like bees, butterflies, a few types of birds, and bats are important for the ecosystem and to keep the food supply chain going. Almost 90% of flowering plants and more than three-quarters of the world’s staple crops depend on them. Various reasons, such as habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species, have led to a severe decline in their numbers, leading to the extinction of some bee species. A wave of threats further adds to this.

The increasing conflict and tensions around the world are harming bees. For example, the Ukrainian war has forced the countries to grow fewer crop types, leaving the pollinators without diverse food throughout the season. Researchers have also found microplastics contaminating the beehives in Europe, where they tested 315 honey bee colonies to reveal synthetic materials, including PET plastic, in most hives. Artificial lighting from street lamps is found to have reduced nocturnal pollinators from visiting the flowers by 62%. Air pollution further adds to their struggle for survival, growth and reproduction. Additionally, antibiotics and pesticide use in farming are weakening the pollinators, as some of these chemicals enter their hives.

Bees and pollinators becoming weak and extinct is not just an extinction issue but also central to our food systems, climate resilience, and economic security. Only by protecting the pollinators can we protect ourselves. To do the same, the authors have mentioned several measures that include better policies and stronger laws that control antibiotics use, which harms bee health, transitioning to electric vehicles to reduce air pollution, breeding crops with enhanced pollen and nectar for improved pollinator nutrition and creating flower-rich habitats within solar parks.

These simple choices we can make today will not just be for the pollinators but also the sustainability of life on Earth. Together, we should make an effort to sustain the natural world, which will in turn sustain us.