The Honey Bee Crisis Honey bees are dying at an alarming rate. While we don’t yet know what is causing Colony Collapse Disorder, we do know that forces like habitat destruction, invasive species, overuse of pesticides, global warming and other environmental stresses create risks to bees. Why Does This Matter To You? Bees have played a crucial role in our ecosystem. Did you know that a third of the fruits and vegetables we eat depend on bees - both honey bees and native bees - for pollination? Bees play a vital role as pollinators, which is why their sudden die-off in recent years is such a critical environmental issue. Fruits and nuts dependent on bees: Almonds, watermelons, cantaloupes, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, cherries, oranges, peaches and kiwifruit. Vegetables dependent on bees for yield: Cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons. Poor quality without bees: Strawberries, peppers, eggplant and okra. July 10, 2014 NCSBA Summer Conference
Posted on: Thu, 08 May 2014 20:21:41 +0000