Why bees are going extinct

The use of pesticides adds poisonous reside to crops and beehives, thus challenging the health of honey bees and pollinators. Varroa destructor and other mites and parasites weaken our bees and are a significant factor for colony loss.

Some of the common practices for commercial beekeeping weaken the bee colonies and induce a lack of defense against diseases and parasites. My local beekeeping association has seen huge interest in beginner beekeeping courses. Farming practices are changing. Many farmers we work with are working to increase biodiversity on their farms. The important thing is to make sure we have skilled beekeepers that are able to care for managed honey bee colonies.

In a way the honey bee is more protected than other bee species through the practice of beekeeping. The honey bee is ubiquitous and gets a lot of press. Honey bees are amazing so this makes sense, but I think a lot of this comes down to the fact that we consume their delicious honey and so are more aware of them. They do face a lot of the same threats as other bees but are not, presently, at risk of extinction. Other bee species are, and they deserve our attention.

There are around species of wild bee in the UK and some of these are in serious peril. Some examples of these 26 species include the pale-tailed mining bee, the moss carder bee, the armed nomad bee and the furry-bellied blood bee. History Magazine These 3,year-old giants watched over the cemeteries of Sardinia. Magazine How one image captures 21 hours of a volcanic eruption. Science Why it's so hard to treat pain in infants.

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Bees need food, shelter and somewhere to raise their young. In order to encourage more bees into gardens and make gardens better places for bees to be, Cumbria Wildlife Trust offered the following tips:. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?

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