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*Bees2.docx uploaded 5/8/14
Appendix and bibliography still
bees2.docx | |
File Size: | 542 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Roughly Draft uploaded April
Imagine one day you walk into the produce section of your local supermarket and find out that all of the products have raised in price? Even worse, completely gone? Well, bee populations are declining, resulting in less pollination of crops grown both in the wild and for us to eat.
Before going into the specifics, one must be able to distinguish between native and non-native species of bees. The more widely known bee among the public is the honeybee. Honeybees are non-native to North America. They were brought over from Europe by colonists in 1600’s as honey stores. Ever since then, honeybees have populated the majority of North America, and have been a threat towards the native bees. Recently, there has been reported losses of honeybee colonies by beekeepers all over the U.S.
One way we can conserve native bee populations is to have stricter regulations on both the national and state level. Regulations in pesticide use, and restrictions on transporting certain bee species are the main concerns.
Raising public awareness of native bees is also a viable option for conservation. People become more aware of their surroundings, as well as a greater sense of actions towards bees.
Habitat building for native bees are the best way to sustain their survival. This can be done in gardens, and even local community gardens. In urban spaces, it is good to plant a variety of plants and flowers native to the area. [Mention why native bees are harder to “raise” compared to honeybees] [Mention some flowers one can plant to attract native bees]
In the recent years, honeybees have also been on a population decline due to CCD. While many people support conservation of the honeybee, it is not necessarily beneficial to native bee species. [Cite sources from both arguing sides] [Add information gathered from beekeeper surveys]
Bee populations all over the world are slowly declining, and if we don’t do more for them, pollination for flowers will be scarce, and then crops would have to be pollinated by humans instead. This is an issue that must be done as soon as possible. Thankfully, there are plenty of organizations that are actively finding solutions towards pollinator conservation. The Xerces Society is one of the more well known ones.
Before going into the specifics, one must be able to distinguish between native and non-native species of bees. The more widely known bee among the public is the honeybee. Honeybees are non-native to North America. They were brought over from Europe by colonists in 1600’s as honey stores. Ever since then, honeybees have populated the majority of North America, and have been a threat towards the native bees. Recently, there has been reported losses of honeybee colonies by beekeepers all over the U.S.
One way we can conserve native bee populations is to have stricter regulations on both the national and state level. Regulations in pesticide use, and restrictions on transporting certain bee species are the main concerns.
Raising public awareness of native bees is also a viable option for conservation. People become more aware of their surroundings, as well as a greater sense of actions towards bees.
Habitat building for native bees are the best way to sustain their survival. This can be done in gardens, and even local community gardens. In urban spaces, it is good to plant a variety of plants and flowers native to the area. [Mention why native bees are harder to “raise” compared to honeybees] [Mention some flowers one can plant to attract native bees]
In the recent years, honeybees have also been on a population decline due to CCD. While many people support conservation of the honeybee, it is not necessarily beneficial to native bee species. [Cite sources from both arguing sides] [Add information gathered from beekeeper surveys]
Bee populations all over the world are slowly declining, and if we don’t do more for them, pollination for flowers will be scarce, and then crops would have to be pollinated by humans instead. This is an issue that must be done as soon as possible. Thankfully, there are plenty of organizations that are actively finding solutions towards pollinator conservation. The Xerces Society is one of the more well known ones.