What’s more? The World Bee day focuses on protecting the bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminate hunger in developing countries.
So how exactly are bees beneficial to our everyday lives, one may wonder?
There are around 20.000 different bee species in the world, but one of the main ones is the honeybee. It is estimated that at least one third of the food we consume every day is pollinated by bees, which is crazy- the kind of impact one small insect can have on the whole population of the world. That is just the tip of the iceberg of why bees are so vital in our ecosystem and lives!
Besides farm-grown fruits and vegetables many species of wild plants depend on insect pollinators as well. Bees are responsible for the production of many seeds, nuts, berries, and fruit, which serve as a vital food source for wild animals.
Bees themselves are also a part of the food chain. At least 24 species of bird, including the blackbird, ruby-throated hummingbird, and starling, prey on bees. Many spiders and insects, like dragonflies and praying mantises, eat bees as well.
In addition to pollinating 30% of our food on the table, they support the growth of trees, flowers, and other plants, which serve as food and shelter for all kinds of living creatures. Their role as pollinators is vital in the growth of tropical forests, savannah woodlands, and temperate deciduous forests. Many tree species, like willows and poplars, couldn’t grow without pollinators like bees.
Thanks to bees’ existence, they contribute to complex, interconnected ecosystems that allow a diverse number of different species to coexist.
Even your own garden serves as a home for hundreds of tiny creatures, from birds and squirrels to thousands of tiny insects. If bees disappeared, the animals that depend on these plants for survival would vanish as well
To say the least, bees are definitely irreplaceable in the world. Without them, our gardens would be bare and our plates empty. This all sums up as to why we have to protect the bees and offer them a place to be and coexist with us, so that we could exist.
KAROLIN KASPER
Karolin is an Estonian volunteer in Praxis organisation involved in the International Bee Day campaign.