Humans are deeply interconnected with the earth and the many species that inhabit this planet, a fact that most people forget. We hardly think about how the death of one species of animal will harm us, not realizing that in reality, the death of a species might lead to the extinction of humanity. And of all the species of animals that have a connection with us, the honey bee is at the top of the list.
Throughout most of your day you never really think about how honey bees affect your life. You don’t realize that about 1/3 of the meals you eat wouldn’t be possible without honey bees. Bees are vital for the pollination of multiple crops that sustain us such as onions, apple, tomatoes, potatoes, and many others (Kurzgesagt). Now, if you are thinking that you would be fine not eating those foods as long as you have yourself a nice carne asada, then think again. The honey bee is also a major pollinator for many crops that are used for livestock, including alfalfa and clover. This means bye bye carne asada. Now, this is all hypothetical right? There are millions of bees around the world and it would take some massive event such as a huge assault with a powerful chemical weapon to wipe them out completely. Well, good thing that isn’t happening … or is it?
Many of you are probably aware of the Zika virus that has been sweeping across the western hemisphere. Well, one of the many ways that countries have been trying to combat this awful virus is by killing the insects that transmit it: mosquitoes. They do this through different chemicals known as pesticides that target insects and kill them on the spot. Specifically, farmers and government workers have been using neonicotinoid, a neuroactive insecticide that is similar in structure to nicotine. This chemical works through binding onto the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors found in the insect’s central nervous system (Texas). Normal stimulation of these receptors would by itself not cause a reaction, but the dosing that is given to exterminate the mosquitoes will block the receptors completely, leading to paralysis and in many cases millions of deaths (Kurzgesagt). What the farmers and government workers don’t realize is that many times honey bees are caught in the crossfire, leading to the deaths of millions of bees.
Unfortunately, this is nothing new. Just in the past 27 years, the number of hives has more than halved due to constant spraying of pesticides by farmers in order to protect their crops. A recent example of this can be found on August 28 in Dorchester South Carolina (Guarino). A total of 46 hives, totaling to 2.5 million bees, were found dead as a result of recent fumigation done in order to combat the spread of the Zika virus (Guarino). One witness described the scene as “like visiting a cemetery, pure sadness.” This massacre of bees is just one example of the damages that humans have been making in their efforts to save themselves from the Zika virus.
In order to protect our bees, we must begin to use pesticides that are not harmful to the bees but still stop the virus from spreading, along with spreading awareness of the harm that the neonicotinoid brings upon the bees. Scientist are creating new pesticides, like flupyradifurone, that do not harm bees but still eradicate the mosquito threat. Farmers have to find an alternative method to protect their crops because in the end the neonicotinoid is doing more harm than good. We must realize that if the bees go extinct humanity will be greatly impacted.
Sources
Guarino, Ben. “‘Like It’s Been Nuked’: Millions of Bees Dead after South Carolina Sprays for Zika Mosquitoes.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2016. Web. 08 Oct. 2016.
Kurzgesagt. “The Death Of Bees Explained: Parasites, Poison and Humans.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 9 July 2015. Web. 26 October 2016.
“What Is a Neonicotinoid?: Insects in the City.” Insects in the City. Texas A&M. Web. 08 Oct. 2016.
