Do you love fresh produce? Honey bees are critical to ecosystem and human health and unfortunately, pesticides have caused colony collapse all over the world. This has to stop. Honey bee colonies should be nourished for a productive and ecologically sound future.

One of the major problems with honey bee health is the use of neonicotinoid insecticide. Basically, people use these insecticides to kill a wide range of insects. Honey bees crawl over the substance, but do not immediately die.  They fly on back to their hive, bumping, crawling, and spreading the neonicotinoid insecticides all over each other and the hive itself.  The result is that the entire hive is affected and most of the bees in the hive: literally collapse. Hence the term “colony collapse disorder.”

Bees are not only pleasing to look at, but provide humans with many benefits. About a third of the food we eat requires pollination before producing the fruit, seeds, and veggies we consume. Without bees, we would lose this huge portion of our food. And with the food shortages occurring around the globe, we cannot face to lose any of it.

The pollination that honey bees provide also has huge effects on ecosystem health. Intense agricultural practices have wiped out a lot of natural ecosystem. Many natural species are dependent on pollination to reproduce. So bees have a huge role in protecting and preserving natural ecosystems.

Bees provide us with food to eat and nature to live in. We should be protecting these delicate little creatures in order to protect ourselves. Bee keeping is fun, educational, and produces delicious honey! Be nice to bees and they will be your allies for life. What have you done to protect bee colonies in your area?

Photos: Andy Murray, Markus Trienke

By Jake Frazier

Jake Frazier is an outdoor enthusiast and the owner of Residential Ecology, a sustainable ecological resource management company. He uses existing natural systems to improve the quality of life for both humans and the Earth. Jake is interested in permaculture, living systems and exploring. Connect with him on LinkedIn.