Why “no man”? Because ⅓ of the food we eat are made by bees and if they were to disappear it would lead us to have an unbalanced diet and then, ultimately, disappear. This is the reason why, insists Alexis, farmers should stop using pesticides. They are one of the main reasons why bees are unable to feed and die. Siding pesticides, there are other significant threats: Varroa mite, habitat loss and poor nutrition.
Varroa mite attaches itself to the honey bee, sucking its blood. Once the bee returns to the hive, the varroa mite will spead.
Habitat loss. There is also a significant threat against bees from our changing land use. As cities grow and agriculture becomes more intensive, bees are losing the wild spaces, hedgerows and meadows where they can find flowers and food.
Poor Nutrition. Some human farming practices such as those of monoculture farming are making it more challenging for the bees to forage a well-balanced diet. It limits the bees’ diet to one type of pollen for extended periods of time, making them more susceptible to chemical pesticides, parasites, and pathogens, as their immune systems aren't as strong.
So, with a 2.96 million decline in honey bee colonies over the years only in the US, what can we do?
The answer is awareness. “Once people know what bees do, they will act”, says Alexis.