Do you know how many bees die each year?

A worrying phenomenon, the number of bee colonies disappearing each year is increasing even more! In the United States for example, it is clear that in the winter of 2013, nearly 30% of bee colonies disappeared. Bees are therefore facing a very great danger, as many circumstances have contributed to the increase in their mortality rate since the last decade. An alarming situation that also affects Europe, and France in particular!

Beekeepers are on high alert and can no longer sleep soundly!

A closer look at the situation.

What causes the excess mortality of bees?

The excess mortality of bees is not due to mere chance. According to analyses carried out by researchers, this phenomenon could have several causes:

• Pesticides

Presumably, the main cause of excess bee mortality in Europe is pesticide and insecticide treatments. An announcement made official by the European Commission. The rise in the number of bees dying each year is not normal, which led this authoritarian reform to suspend three types of pesticides. These include neonicotinoid pesticides, notably clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam. Products mainly manufactured by the German company Bayer and the Swiss company Syngenta, which are indicated as particularly harmful to bees.

• Degrading weather conditions

But besides pesticides, other factors also cause the disappearance of bee colonies. One example is weather conditions, which are increasingly degrading. Climate change heavily affects bees. Particularly weakened by the cold, few bees venture into the fields during the winter period. If they do not flee the uncomfortable area, they stay warm inside their hive. As a result, either the bee colony deserts the places where the cold reigns, or it dies out bit by bit and reproduces with difficulty.

• The multiplication of the Asian hornet

This is a species originating from Southeast Asia, which is also said to be a threat to the survival of bees. The hornet entered France around the year 2006, a time when the number of bee colonies in hives began to decrease drastically. The hornet is an insect, slightly larger in size than bees, and bees make up 45% of its diet. Yet this pest, harmful to beekeeping, continues to proliferate all over France, which is far from being good news for bees and beekeepers. For information

What are the consequences of the disappearance of bees?

This increasingly alarming scarcity of bees in Europe is a fact, with heavy consequences. It risks greatly impacting the quality of human life. Unless humans have another idea to take care of the pollination and reproduction of more than 90% of plant species worldwide, it remains preferable to take care of bees. Bees are not just simple insects that make honey; they are primarily responsible for one-third of food production on this planet. Their disappearance would be unimaginable!

Because if that were the case, there would certainly be a great upheaval in human life:

• The threat of extinction for certain biodiversity and animals

Bees are pollinators responsible for the reproduction of many plants, trees, and flowers. The absence of bees would therefore be a real threat to the smooth running of the natural processes of our ecosystem. According to statistics announced by the CNRS and INRA, nearly 35% of global food production relies on pollination. And 80% of these plant species rely heavily on bees to ensure their pollination. A world without bees is therefore equivalent to a world without food, with very little diversity of plants and trees.

• The rise in food prices

With fruits, vegetables, or even spices becoming scarce in the absence of bees, we will face a rise in food prices. Therefore, general inflation almost everywhere in the world. This shortage can impact different categories of families, especially the most modest households.

If we recall the quote from Albert Einstein saying: "If bees deserted the surface of the earth, the human race could not live for more than four years". A phrase that says a lot about the real importance of bees on this earth. It is therefore essential to properly protect this endangered species to try to preserve at least its usual way of life!

Key figures to know about the disappearance of bees

In France, the numbers speak for themselves! Bees face a great threat of extinction. Roughly 30% of bee colonies die each year. This forces many beekeepers to abandon their activity. According to the figures, in just 10 years, nearly 15,000 French beekeepers have stopped their production.

The environment is simply no longer viable for bees, especially since the end of the winter of 2018 when a peak in bee mortality was recorded. Beekeepers gathered to ask the competent authorities to find a solution to this genocide.

Following their request, a law banning the use of all neonicotinoids across France was proclaimed, in effect until July 1st, 2020. This ban applies to all open-field crops.

How to protect bees?

It is clear that for the survival of humans and the environment, it is necessary to protect these insect populations that are bees.

In addition to not using neonicotinoids, they also need to be fed. To do this, nothing could be simpler than planting plants and flowers in our gardens. The most recommended are lavender, heather, acacia, linden, thyme, etc.

You can also sponsor a hive to support its production and participate in its successful development. Simple actions, but beneficial for everyone!