When we think of pollinators, we immediately conjure the honeybee. Their plight has been widely publicized and organizations the world over are doing everything they can to help ensure their survival. But bees are not our only allies. During World Pollinator Week, scientists, beekeepers, environmental organizations and food producers have come together to raise awareness of the importance of these small but mighty animals.
More than 200,000 species of beneficial insects and 1,000 vertebrates such as birds, bats and small ... [+]
According to Pollinator Partnership, the non-profit that spurred Pollinator Week, more than 200,000 species of beneficial insects such as flies, beetles, wasps, ants, butterflies and moths, and more than 1,000 vertebrates such as birds, bats and small mammals, are also pollinators.
Pollinators feed the world
Pollinators are directly responsible for at least 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat, which is more than 35%. Over 90 different varieties of fruits, vegetables and essential crops like alfalfa and hay for our meat and dairy industries depend on these critters for survival. Pollination produces nearly $20 billion worth of food-related products annually, and according to research from Cornell University, honeybees are responsible for $15 billion worth of food crops in the United States each year.
But the world’s pollinators are still at odds due to habitat loss, pesticides and diseases. Here are some staggering stats: monarch butterflies have declined by 90% in the last 20 years, and 25% of bumble bee species are thought to be in serious decline. Now more than ever, the work of scientists, beekeepers and other stewards of the environment is crucial to supporting the world’s food supply.
Danielle Downey has been working to protect and study honeybees for over 25 years.
“Globalization has affected bees by introducing parasites and pathogens from around the world,” says Danielle Downey, executive director of Project Apis m. “Urbanization, and expansion and consolidation of agriculture, have decreased the natural forage available to support bees, and pesticide exposure is also increasing. These pressures make it harder to keep bees productive, healthy, and alive year over year. Research to solve these problems is ongoing, along with efforts to increase the habitat available to bees.”
Named for Apis mellifera, the honey bee, Project Apis m. is a non-profit founded by beekeepers and almond growers that has become the largest honeybee-focused non-profit, investing over $8 million in 118 practical research projects and over $2 million in restoring habitat to give bees the good, natural nutrition they need.
Viruses affect bees, too
“There are about 20 known viruses that affect bees, and more being discovered. We routinely test honeybees for 11 of them, but there are no known treatments yet,” says Downey, who has been working with honeybees and the parasites that plague them for over 25 years, including training and research from bee labs in Minnesota, Canada and France; beekeeper education, work with commercial beekeepers and queen breeders; and inspections and regulatory work as a State Apiarist in Utah and Hawaii.
According to Downey, the total annual loss of honeybee colonies last year was 40.7%, with losses between 33 to 45% since 2012. “Beekeepers who earn their living with bees require a lot more inputs to rebuild from heavy losses each year. Our food supply depends on these key businesses, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep them viable.”
Honey bees and carpenter bees zoom on an antelopes horn milkweed, one of the plants critical for ... [+]
Bees have also endured unprecedented pandemics over the past few decades. “They have been hit hard with various diseases and viruses, varroa mites which suck their blood, loss of habitat and many other issues,” says Blake Shook, founder and CEO of Desert Creek Honey in Blue Ridge, Texas. “It's no wonder they are disappearing. But, as beekeepers, we've found solutions to many of these issues, and work tirelessly to make sure bees are cared for. While hives in the wild are often completely decimated, managed hives have thrived under the care of vigilant beekeepers.”
The mighty honeybee, an apex pollinator
Shook has been involved in beekeeping and honey production since he was 12 years old. “As we've seen food in short supply in the past months, we as beekeepers are reminded more than ever how important our job is as caretakers of honeybees,” he adds. “And as always, bees and beekeepers have been quick to rise to the occasion, working tirelessly to ensure crops are pollinated, honey is produced, and we all remain healthy and safe.”
Companies like Desert Creek Honey Co. in Northeast Texas are committed to protecting and educating ... [+]
“At Desert Creek, we get to watch our bees pollinate crops, the fruit form, the farmer harvest it, and we bring some of it home to our families,” says Shook. “Being so close to the food supply and caring so much about our bees is a constant motivator to make sure we are caring for them as well as possible. Beekeepers across America spend thousands of hours every year working in the heat, rain and snow to make sure our bees have every advantage to thrive. The entire industry is a testament to perseverance, hard work and sacrifice.”
In Spicewood, in the Texas Hill Country, Taylor Hall chose the mighty honeybee as the foundation for his restaurant concept, Apis Restaurant and Apiary. “From a chef's perspective, I began understanding the challenges honeybees face with colony collapse disorder, and just how important the little creatures are to our food cycles. If the bees go away, the small community farms suffer, and we have less quality food to serve,” he says.
Apis Restaurant and Apiary in the Texas Hill Country is inspired by honeybees, from design and decor ... [+]
“That's not just the plants we serve in the restaurants,” he adds, “but the plants that depend upon honeybee pollination to feed the animals we serve as well.” Upon becoming a beekeeper, he began to realize just how similar a bee colony is to a restaurant. “They are both very busy, fast-paced environments, which thrive when all members uphold their duties simultaneously. The bonus of getting to harvest honey, wax and pollen to work with in the bar and kitchen is a sweet lagniappe.”
Different pollinators for different purposes
North America alone has over 4,000 species of native bees that don’t produce honey yet are critical contributors to the pollination of the food we eat. Tara Chapman, founder of Two Hives Honey in Austin, Texas, is dedicated to teaching about the importance of solitary bees as pollinators. “Leaf cutter bees are critical to small scale dairy and cattle industry, as they are the primary pollinators of alfalfa,” she says, “and mason bees are important pollinators of fruit trees and are used in orchards.”
A passion flower is visited by carpenter bees and honey bees. Thanks to their pollination, a ... [+]
And if you enjoy drinking mezcal, be thankful for the insects and bats that pollinate the many species of agave from which the Mexican spirit is made. The agave genus in its various species has developed three natural ways to reproduce, with sexual reproduction, in which the plants rely on pollinators to produce seeds, is the most important for its impact on diversification of the species.
After the negative effects caused by the mismanagement of Tequilana agave cultivation, the focus over the last 15 years has been to rescue and maintain genetic diversity of the species through our natural allies. “Since agave is a bisexual plant - its flowers contain both male and female organs - pollinators such as bats, larks, hummingbirds, nocturnal moths and bees are essential,” says Graciela Angeles Carreño, maker of Mezcal Real Minero. “They create a pollen exchange between different individuals which increases the genetic pool of the species, thus making them more naturally resistant to pests, diseases and the changes generated by climate change, in addition to the evolution of the species and emergence of new ones.”
At Proyecto LAM, her one-of-a-kind living research lab in the municipality of Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca, Angeles Carreño is constantly documenting the life cycle and propagation methods of these plants. “The need to have information and generate a seed bank that allows us to ensure the survival of mezcalero agave species is crucial,” she states, “but it not only depends on having seeds, but also on plant management implemented by [mezcal] producers and brands.”
Mezcal maker and agave researcher Graciela Angeles Carreño shares her knowledge with fellow mezcal ... [+]
The future of the maguey mezcalero will depend on what we do responsibly, and Angeles Carreño is at the forefront of these sustainable practices and research. “It is essential to think about a sustainable industry that considers plants, water, firewood and fair trade,” she says. “This way our diversity will not be threatened and we will be able to continue enjoying the pollinators on which the future of humanity largely depends.”
Educating the next generation
Back in Austin, Chapman strongly believes that supporting local beekeepers is one of the best ways in which folks can help pollinators. “Although we make our money on honey, we also do a ton of free education and classes on supporting all pollinators,” she states. At Two Hives, she offers hive tours, classes and programs to help others discover the fascinating world of beekeeping.
Agave Karwinskii specimens with flower stems full of mature seeds ready to be collected at Proyecto ... [+]
Even more educational opportunities are available though the Whole Kids Foundation, which recently launched the Give Bees a Chance campaign to raise awareness and funds to support educational beehive grants and pollinator initiatives for schools. Since 2014, the foundation has awarded more than 500 grants to support educational beehives at schools, and plans to invest its one-millionth dollar in pollinator education.
Sponsors such as Cascadian Farm, Horizon Organic, Honest, Kashi and MALK have pledged a combined total of $87,500, equating to about 35 educational beehive grants. This year’s campaign also features free comprehensive online educational activities for parents, teachers and kids.
Next time you enjoy a fresh peach, a crisp cucumber, a bowl of cereal or a sip of mezcal, remember the small, yet massively important animals that made them possible, and do what you can to ensure their well being for the survival of our own species.
