Honey Bees in the Trap An exploratory presentation on the impact of honey bees around the world Yeika Rivera

Honey Bees Honey bees need pollen and nectar for food and honey Flowers need pollen transport to reproduce and make seeds (Tucker) Bees do both jobs and are extremely important to the environment Of 100 different crops provide 90% of food, bees pollinate over 70% (Daftardar) Western honey bees, the kind usually kept by beekeepers, produce 1.6 million tons of honey annually

At least 1 in 3 bites of food we consume are a result of honey bees (Hagopian) Honey bees pollinate more than $40 billion dollars worth of produce annually In 2013, honey bees provided as much as $317.1 million worth of food (Daftarder) More than 130 fruits and vegetables are cross pollinated by bees according to USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (Hagopian) Impact of honey bees

Honey bees reside in all of the lightly shaded areas of the above map Impact in America In the United States, both North and South Dakota, Montana, Iowa and Minnesota have large honey bee populations By taking most of their honey supply for sale, honey bees are left without a food supply during this time In the last 5 years alone: 30% of honey bee population extinct in America Almost ⅓ of honey bee colonies have perished Honey bees reside in all of the lightly shaded areas of the above map

Impact in America con’t Global warming contributes to longer, harsher winters Iowa recently lost 70% of their honey bee population(Hagopian) Recent droughts in California have dwindled the number of flowers available to pollinate and therefore, the amount of honey being made as well as the honey bee population numbers (Hagopian) Loss of honey bee colonies have resulted in $30 billion loss annually (Reuters) Biggest cause is Varroa destructor parasite Highly resistant to insecticides used by US bee keepers

Honey Bee extinction Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder Increased use of pesticides, over 57 different pesticides used in Europe The following factors contribute to honey bee extinction around the world Shrinking habitats Viruses Poor nutrition In the US, bees are fed high fructose corn syrup for honey and wax production (Hagopian) Genetics Cell phone towers

Global Impact of bee extinction Food sector provides millions of jobs for people (Grossman) Coffee pickers - Brazil Cocoa farmers - Ghana Almond growers - California Apple producers - China Bees globally pollinate the following: Apples, blueberries and citrus crops Avocados and asparagus Broccoli and celery Cherries and cranberries Cucumbers, kiwis and melons

https://youtu.be/ykq3q5XDjnY

Acting against the extinction USDA will provide $3 million dollar subsidy to help rebuild populations Things we can do at home to help protect bees Plant small gardens with native insecticide-free plants Maintaining healthy soil to keep plants' immune systems strong can also help. Stop using pesticides.

References Society, National Geographic. "Honeybees, Honeybee Pictures, Honeybee Facts - National Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016. Tucker, Jessica. "How Bees Benefit Other Living Things." One Green Planet. N.p., 25 June 2014. Web. 12 Dec. 2016. Daftardar, Ishan. "Why Bee Extinction Would Mean the End of Humanity." Science ABC. N.p., 03 Nov. 2016. Web. 12 Dec. 2016. Reuters. "Decline in Bee Population Is Putting Global Food Industry at Risk." Fortune. N.p., 25 Feb. 2016. Web. 12 Dec. 2016. Grossman, Elizabeth. "Declining Bee Populations Pose A Threat to Global Agriculture." Declining Bee Populations Pose A Threat to Global Agriculture by Elizabeth Grossman: Yale Environment 360. Yale University, 30 Apr. 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2016. Holland, Jennifer S. "9 Ways You Can Help Bees and Other Pollinators At Home." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Images cited https://media.giphy.com/media/DeLyR84jMIiis/giphy.gif https://media4.giphy.com/media/xT8qBn5D2VHBRw3uPC/200_s.gif http://www.compoundchem.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Neonicotinoid- Pesticides-Their-Effect-on-Bee-Colonies-The-Facts.png