To many, honey bees represent a critical indicator of the health of our environment and ecosystems. When dire reports forecasted that honey bee populations were declining, businesses, non-profits, and education programs stepped up, instructing individuals to practice beekeeping and bolster honey bee populations as a method of protecting the environment. As a result of these initiatives, the number of honey bee colonies in the United States increased by 14% from 2020.ⁱ However, recent research on the impact of these honey bee-centric pollinator conservation efforts suggests that these endeavors may actually cause more harm than good. 

Competition Between Native Bees and Honey Bees  

The introduction of non-native honey bee populations into ecosystems increases competition for resources, such as forage, between these honey bees and native bees. Honey bees are highly generalist foragers, collecting pollen from all available plant species. For example, 2 million honey bees collect the equivalent amount of pollen and nectar as 4 million native bees.ⁱⁱ When more honey bee colonies are introduced into an area, these generalist pollinators monopolize flower resources, which creates competition with native bees for specific flowers and plants. Considering that honey bees and native pollinators already face challenges in finding forage due to habitat degradation and other factors, the introduction of honey bees can put even more strain on native bee populations.   

Spread of Disease 

Additionally, because honey bees are internationally exchanged, they often carry and transfer fatal diseases to native bees, which further weakens native bee populations. According to a 2019 study from the University of Vermont, with the introduction of honey bees to ecosystems, the viruses found in the honey bees transfer to bumble bees and other native bees, through shared usage of flowers.ⁱⁱⁱ Many of the diseases that native bees receive from honey bees can be fatal, such as the deformed wing virus, which results in wing and abdominal abnormalities. 

Impacts of Honey Bees on Pollination and Ecosystems 

In the past, the impact of introducing honey bees to an overall ecosystem was largely unknown. However, in a 2020 study conducted by the Spanish National Research Council, researchers introduced thousands of honey bee colonies to the Canary Islands, which previously had no honey bee population. After removing these hives, the researchers found that introducing honey bees negatively impacted the relationship between native pollinators and plants and decreased the rate of successful pollination for native plants. Furthermore, the researchers also found that key indicators of ecosystem resilience also declined.^iv Overall, this study suggested that the introduction of honey bees can have large-scale, negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems.  

In the past, scientists believed that the introduction of honey bees into ecosystems produced net benefits for the environment and pollination. However, new research complicates this, suggesting that honey bees can directly harm native bee populations and ecosystems. While honey bees are vital for agricultural and crop pollination, native bees are crucially for effectively pollinating thousands of native plants species and maintaining our ecosystems and biodiversity. In order to preserve native bees, it is necessary to take steps to directly help these populations, including planting habitat, avoiding pesticides, and conducting research on the causes of their decline, rather than focusing our attention solely on honey bees. 

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^i. Julia Jacobo, “Nearly 40% decline in honeybee population last winter ‘unsustainable,’ experts say,” ABC News, July 9, 2018, https://abcnews.go.com/US/40-decline-honey-bee-population-winter-unsustainable-experts/story?id=64191609.

^ii. “Landmark Report: Hundreds of Native Bee Species Sliding toward Extinction,” Center for Biological Diversity, accessed February 11, 2022, https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2017/bees-03-01-2017.php.

^iii. J. Seifert, “Neonicotinoids,” Journal of Toxicology, no. 3 (2014): 477-482.

^iv.  Thomas James Wood, The Environmental Risks of neonicotinoid pesticides: a review of the evidence post-2013 (Cold Spring Harbor, 2017), https://search.proquest.com/docview/2 070155369/2F5C856D20CA419EPQ/12?accountid=36236.

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By Ayla Sumer, intern with LEAD for Pollinators, Inc.

Bees are essential to the health of people and the planet and are estimated to pollinate over one third of the food we eat, either directly or indirectly. However, due to a variety of environmental and human-related factors, their populations are rapidly decreasing.[i] More than 50% of the 1,437 monitored native bee species in the United States have experienced a population decline.[ii] While a variety of factors are responsible for the decline of bees, the usage of insecticides, particularly a class of chemicals known as neonicotinoids, has exacerbated this problem. Neonicotinoids, a relatively new category of synthetic insecticides chemically related to nicotine are utilized by farmers in numerous forms, such as seed coatings, in order to protect their crops from the devastating effects of predatory insects.[iii] First introduced into US crop production in the mid-1990, neonicotinoids are now used on hundreds of millions of acres of U.S. agricultural land and have become the most widely used insecticide in the world.[iv] Despite the widespread usage of neonicotinoids for protecting crops from predatory insects, this class of substances has been shown to pose substantial risk to bee populations, both killing them directly and affecting their behavior and productivity.    

Harms of Neonicotinoids to Bees

Neonicotinoids are systemic pesticides. This means that, unlike contact pesticides which remain on the surface of the treated parts of plants, neonicotinoids are absorbed by the plant and transported throughout the plant (including its leaves, flowers, roots and stems, as well as pollen and nectar). Additionally, as only about 5% of the active ingredients in neonicotinoids are utilized by the intended plants, the remaining neonicotinoids rapidly disperse into the environment. This residual pesticide can persist in soil, adjacent plants, and water sources for months or years.[v] When foraging and nesting, bees can come into contact with high concentrations of this pesticide, either through the neonicotinoid-contaminated pollen and nectar of the treated plant, or residual pesticides from the environment. Once absorbed by the bee, the highly toxic active compounds of neonicotinoids kill the bees by acting on their nervous systems, eventually causing paralysis and death.[vi] Additionally, studies conducted on native bees, bumble bees, and honey bees have found that even low concentrations of neonicotinoids can be harmful to these bees. When exposed to sublethal levels of neonicotinoids, bees can experience problems with flight and navigation, reduced taste sensitivity, and slower learning of tasks, all of which impact foraging ability and hive productivity. For example, studies have found that when bumblebees were exposed to a small amount of this insecticide, they made suboptimal foraging decisions and were more likely to visit flowers located further apart than control bees, decreasing efficiency and productivity.[vii]

Policy Approaches to Neonicotinoids

While the European Union prohibited the sale and usage of these pesticides in 2018 until further research and environmental mitigation analysis has been conducted, no comprehensive federal regulation of neonicotinoids exists in the US.[viii] In January of 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency released a set of proposed interim decisions for neonicotinoids. Their proposal included management measures to help keep pesticides on their intended target, restrictions on when pesticides can be applied to blooming crops in order to limit exposure to bees, and language on labels that educates individuals of the dangers of these insecticides to pollinator populations.[ix] While these measures represent the comprehensive government action necessary to protect pollinators, they have not been implemented, meaning that the solutions currently enacted on the federal level fail to fully protect pollinator populations. Individual states and local governments have adopted limited regulatory measures on the usage and distribution of this pesticide. For example, a law passed in Maryland limits the sale of neonicotinoids to sellers who are already permitted to sell restricted use pesticides. Similarly, a law passed in Minnesota prohibited plants treated with neonicotinoids from being labeled or advertised as beneficial to pollinators.[x] Tens of millions of acres of neonicotinoid-coated seed is planted annually in the United States and Canada.[xi] The residue from these insecticides can persist in the environment for months to years, perpetuating harmful lethal and sublethal effects on bee populations. While neonicotinoids are not solely responsible for the decline in bee populations, studies have rigorously established a clear linear relationship between usage of pesticides and damage to bee populations.[xii] The decline in pollinator populations as a result of neonicotinoids not only poses a risk to these insect populations, but overall ecosystem and human health as well. Considering pollinators, specifically bees, pollinate an estimated $24 billion worth of crops every year and many key crops depend almost completely on insect pollinators, the decline in these species due to neonicotinoid usage results in reduced crop yields and food production.[i]

[i] Jennifer Weeks, “Pesticide Controversies,” CQ Researcher 25, no. 21 (June 5, 2015): 481-504, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2015060500.

[i] Julia Jacobo, “Nearly 40% decline in honeybee population last winter ‘unsustainable,’ experts say,” ABC News, July 9, 2018, https://abcnews.go.com/US/40-decline-honey-bee-population-winter-unsustainable-experts/story?id=64191609.

[ii] “Landmark Report: Hundreds of Native Bee Species Sliding toward Extinction,” Center for Biological Diversity, accessed February 11, 2022, https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2017/bees-03-01-2017.php.

[iii] J. Seifert, “Neonicotinoids,” Journal of Toxicology, no. 3 (2014): 477-482.

[iv]  Thomas James Wood, The Environmental Risks of neonicotinoid pesticides: a review of the evidence post-2013 (Cold Spring Harbor, 2017), https://search.proquest.com/docview/2 070155369/2F5C856D20CA419EPQ/12?accountid=36236.

[v] “Neonicotinoids,” National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, NCEL, published 2001, accessed April 20, 2021, https://www.ncel.net/neonicotinoids/.  

[vi] “How Neonicotinoids Can Kill Bees: Xerces Society,” Xerces Society, accessed February 11, 2022, https://xerces.org/publications/scientific-reports/how-neonicotinoids-can-kill-bees#:~:text=Neonicotinoids%20are%20a%20group%20of,making%20them%20toxic%20to%20bees.&text=Research%20published%20since%20then%20clearly,bees%20or%20changing%20their%20behaviors.

[vii] Jennifer Weeks, “Pesticide Controversies,” CQ Researcher 25, no. 21 (June 5, 2015): 481-504, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2015060500.

[viii] “Neonicotinoids,” National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, NCEL, published 2001, accessed April 20, 2021, https://www.ncel.net/neonicotinoids/.  

[ix] “EPA Releases Proposed Interim Decisions for Neonicotinoids,” United States Environmental Protection Agency, January 30, 2020, https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/epa-releases-proposed-interim-decisions-neonicotinoids.

[x] “Pollinator Protection Act” (Maryland State Senate, 2016).

[xi] “How Neonicotinoids Can Kill Bees: Xerces Society,” Xerces Society, accessed February 11, 2022, https://xerces.org/publications/scientific-reports/how-neonicotinoids-can-kill bees#:~:text=Neonicotinoids%20are%20a%20group%20of,making%20them%20toxic%20to%20bees.&text=Research%20published%20since%20then%20clearly,bees%20or%20changing%20their%20behaviors.

[xii] Tjeerd Blacquiere and Guy Smagghe, “Neonicotinoids in bees: a review on concentrations, side-effects, and risk assessment,” Ecotoxicology, no. 21 (2012): 973-992.

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Continue your beekeeping, gardening, farming, small business, and leadership education during 2021.  Forty-plus presentations will inform, inspire, and invigorate listeners.  Two series will be presented:  Log-in To Learn series and Creating Pollinator Habitat series.  Webinars will be held from 8 p.m.-9 p.m. eastern (7p central, 6p mountain, 5p pacific), and feature regional and national speakers who are experienced, knowledgeable, and engaging in topics important to beekeeping, pollinator habitat, healthy soils, clean water, community-supported agriculture, leadership, and small business.  Registration fee is $10 per webinar per person.  Group rates are available for member associations, clubs, and groups.  Live presentations will be recorded and available for individuals to pay-to-view the presentations across 2021.  For more information about topics, dates, and group rates visit https://leadforpollinators.org/log-in-to-learn-webinars/  or email us at info@leadforpollinators.org

Review the Schedule of Webinars.

Other opportunities with the Log-In To Learn and Creating Pollinator Habitat webinar series include:

Advertising at the webinars

Becoming a Sponsor of the webinars

And the Multipak Group Rate for 11 presentations for your group during 2021.

The post Inform, Inspire, Invigorate appeared first on Lead For Pollinators.

Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities.

Pollination is, however, a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day.

The goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminate hunger in developing countries.

We all depend on pollinators and it is, therefore, crucial to monitor their decline and halt the loss of biodiversity.

Read more HERE  

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The Sixth Great Mass Extinction on Earth is happening right now. Mass Extinctions are accelerated extinction events where losses of plants and animals who’ve existed on Earth for millions of years, die out, en mass, within a short geologic period. Current losses are between 200 – 300 species of plants and animals each day. A great living organism, Earth – like our own bodies – need certain entities to stay healthy and intact.

Unfortunately the more animals and plants we lose, the more we stand to lose. From native bees, to beetles, bats, lizards, flies, honey possums, sugarbirds and more, impacted ecosystems are causing pollinators to decline in record number. Both predator and prey, the insect world itself, is in gross decline, wreaking havoc on it’s own predators who range from bats and birds, to amphibians, lizards and other animals.

Known vs Unknown Factors in Pollinator Losses

There are several known factors involved in the losses of pollinators on Earth today. Loss of habitat, and therefore forage, toxins from conventional agriculture – pesticides (conventional and systemic), fungicides, herbicides, inorganic fertilizers, genetically engineered/bioengineered crops – and among honey bee populations, too many inexperienced backyard beekeepers (who spread disease and cause distress for other reasons, among honey bee populations) – and conventional cell tower emissions.

It is the unknown factors that we at Bee Heroic focus on. These impacts are a collection of abstruse technologies which can be exercised individually, or in conjunction, and are having grave impacts on global pollinators and other species. They include: Geoengineering, 5G, and advanced genetic engineering. The big, bad, G’s.

Geoengineering: Defined as deliberate, large scale intervention of Earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change, this technology is executed for a variety of reasons. Utilizing different technologies, these programs are executed throughout the world without the general knowledge or consent of farmers and/or community members.

From commercial uses, to military, and aiding in climate “mitigation”, these technologies are impacting our pollinators on a global scale. Mainstream media has finally started to cover basic projects listed as “Solar Radiation Management” (SRM) and “Carbon Dioxide Removal” (CDR), however it continues to fail in reporting environmental impact statements. (EIS); as well as solutions to the impacts.

5G: 5G, or Fifth Generation Telecom, is the foundation of the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is the connection of billions of devices on Earth. From driverless cars, to faster downloading of movies, to being able to know if your child has pooped in their diapers, people will be able to know everything, and do almost anything they need to, from their cellular and computer devices. In order for the IoT to function well, millions of new small cell towers are being erected throughout the states, and around the world. These towers will emit microwave radiation at frequencies nearly 10,000X higher than current 2-4G cell stations. The 5G high frequency, millimeter wave (mmWave) technology is deadly to insects, birds, small mammals and makes every part of plants nearby, toxic.

In addition to millions of new towers spread throughout neighborhoods, across states, near farmlands, and riparian areas, thousands of low Earth satellites will be launched into space; each rocket launch will release barium further damaging the ozone which protects the crops and plants our pollinators need for food and shelter.

Big Ag: In addition to the chemicals, genetically altered crops and animals created by the agrochemical industry, we must now be aware of the emerging bio and nanotechnology industries utilized by these corporations. Genetically engineered bacteria, viruses, insects, and other elements are bio-pollutants, meaning, that unlike chemical pollutants, many can reproduce – wrecking havoc on natural and native species; destroying soil foundations, plants, pollinators and more.

Bee aware. Bee proactive. Bee heroic.
With today’s technology and mainstream media’s marketing of products and services designed to keep consumerism going, many people are distracted by benign movies, television, sports, and other frivolous means of entertainment. If we are to halt the current ecologic destruction and mass extinction event, and save our pollinators and ourselves, we need to be informed of issues and the impacts they have. Doing independent research on the unknown factors of pollinator losses means giving your
time and energy to something truly meaningful.

Here is a list of ways you can help keep our extraordinary pollen nation and Earth healthy:
Be a conscious consumer:
• buy only what you need (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. “Reduce” is first for a reason.)
• purchase organic and true sustainable food and products (when you purchase organic/biodynamic foods you support organic farms )
• don’t use or purchase “garbage waiting to happen” (straws, paper cups, plastic holiday/birthday/wedding decorations that will be thrown away at the end of the day, balloons, etc.)
Take meaningful action. Stop the Big Bad G’s.

Visit the Bee Heroic Project website to learn more at beeheroic.com

The post The Sixth Great Mass Extinction appeared first on Lead For Pollinators.

Spend time in your backyard
• Use the SEEK app by iNaturalist to see what’s living in your own backyard and complete the Biodiversity Audit activity.
• Create a garden filled with plants that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators (try the Origami Butterfly Planters activity!) or create a backyard wildlife habitat, such as bird houses and bug hotels.

iNaturalist

Biodiversity Audit activity

Origami Butterfly Planters

LEAD for Pollinators is pleased to share these teaching tools by the World Wildlife Fund to learn about and explore our world from home. It is important to keep young and old minds engaged in the world around us. If you know a parent, caregiver, or educator who can use these activities, please forward the link to this blog post. Together we can inspire the next generation.

The post Spend Time In Your Backyard appeared first on Lead For Pollinators.

The great pollen nation is the scope of winged and terrestrial insects, birds, bats, small mammals, primates, lizards and other animals that are responsible for the pollination of flowering plants on Earth. And while some plants are wind pollinated, it is this range of animals that is responsible for the pollinating the bulk of the most nutrient dense foods
we eat, and flowering vegetation in ecosystems.

The Big Bite
When people think of pollinators, many people think simply of insects, and more specifically, the honey bee. Recently listed as the most important animal on Earth, the honey bee, which is both a primary pollinator and supplementary pollinator for global food economies, has earned that title. But, without the support of it’s own species (of which the honey bee is only a handful among 20,000 or so species), and the rest of the pollen nation, it simply cannot exist. People collectively eat billions of meals each day
that include fruits, vegetables nuts and other foods provided by everything from gnats, ants and beetles, to hummingbirds, bats, wasps, and a host of other animals. These nutrient dense foods are what have allowed humans – throughout history – to become healthier; developing stronger muscles, and larger brains. Without them, we simply would not be where we are today.
Bee aware. Bee proactive. Bee heroic.

Visit the Bee Heroic Project website to learn at beeheroic.com

The post The Great Pollen Nation appeared first on Lead For Pollinators.

We continue our work providing leadership, education, action, and development for pollinators. We know you want to protect pollinators, strengthen your beekeeping and agricultural associations and business, and take action to support the health and sustainability of honey bees, native pollinators, and the keepers of the ecosystem. We can still do so much, even from home and through the internet. We will be providing ideas through our blog on activities for you and your children. You can take action for pollinators and a healthy ecosystem with our partners. You can listen to our podcasts for ideas and education.

Our national crisis will conclude, and we will get back to our routines. We will plant flower seeds for pollinators. Beekeepers will add frames to their hives and spring will bloom for our bees. Our city and county bee ordinances need revamped, and noxious weed ordinances re-written to value milkweed and other pollinator supportive wildflowers. Planning for the future has never been more important. At LEAD for Pollinators we are working with your future in mind. Visit our website, check out our blog, our podcasts, and our future conference, Becoming 21st Century Leaders: Women in Beekeeping and Agriculture.

Take care of yourselves and your family, and feel free to visit our website, take action with our partners, and contact us.

Michele Colopy Terry Lieberman-Smith
Executive Director Coordinator

The post A note from LEAD for Pollinators on COVID-19 appeared first on Lead For Pollinators.