For over 130 million years, bees have played an extremely significant role in our lives. But lately, they have been dying at staggering rates.
Since 2006, nearly one third of the entire Western Honey Bee population (Apis melifera) vanished each year in the United States. It is the worst sudden bee die-off recorded in history, approximately 60% of reported deaths showed symptoms of a condition called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). At most, normal bee losses account for 17% of the total bee population, but these numbers are shocking.Here in Canada, from the winters of 2005/06 to 2007/08, bee declines jumped from 29% to 35% of the total national number of commercialized honey bees. In addition, these die-offs were reported in thirteen other countries including France, Poland, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Even native wild bees across the world are dying at rapid rates. In effect, bee health is an alarming concern as entire bee species are at risk of extinction.
If bees continue to disappear at this rate, it is estimated by 2035 that there will be no more honey bees.
The duke Edinburgh once said, "Miners use canaries to warn them of deadly gases. It might not be a bad idea if we took the same warning from the dead birds in our countryside."
Irene Schleining, Director of Whale of a Time says, It might not be a bad idea if we took the same warning from the dead bees in our countryside."
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