Honey Bee: Canary in the Ecosystem

Ecosystem, Niche, Adaptations, Extinction The niche of the honeybee in our ecosystem is pollination of flowers! That is the job of the honeybee. For a species to survive, it must have individuals who live and reproduce! It must reproduce sexually in order to adapt to the changes in its environment otherwise, it will go extinct.

Survival of any species means they must adapt to environmental conditions. Humans have changed the environment through over population, agricultural practices, importation of plants and animals, etc Smaller animals and plants especially those with large numbers of genomes are more able to adapt but there is a limit. Too much of anything will kill a species. Are we at that limit? The California Buckeye tree is poisonous to the Honeybee but they like it! It does not seem to bother native bee species who have adapted to it. Hey, not everything we like is good for us!

Liebig’s Law of the Minimum: Growth/ Survival is controlled by the scarcest resource. Climate change means more droughts. Water is a very scare resource in areas of drought! Lack of water leads to starvation in Honeybees. Could that be the limiting resource that the honeybees cannot adapt to?

is the scarcest resource Bees eat nectar! Plants make nectar from water ! Without water, no nectar! In a drought, the nectar season is short! Water then is the scarcest resource

This honeybee is drinking up nectar from the plant to take back to the hive. * Rain dilutes nectar. * Honeybees don’t go out in the rain. * Short rainy season means limited nectar. Honeybees eat nectar and pollen. That is their food! All plants have pollen but ……… Not all plants have nectar!

Honeybees and flowering plants have evolved together Honeybees and flowering plants have evolved together. They are dependent on each other for survival.

Honeybee Reproduction 1. The Virgin Queen mates with 10 to 20 males. 2. She has all the sperm in her body that she will have for the rest of her life. 3. The female eggs are fertilized with sperm (diploid). 4. The male eggs are not fertilized (haploid). The worker bees live 1-4 months The drones live 40-50 days The queen live from 2-5 years Why is this important? Genetics

Reproduction in a Flower

Cross-Pollination by Insects Pollination is the only chance for maximum yield, eliminate the honeybee and agriculture would be permanently diminished!

What is the final product of pollination? One out of three bites of our food comes from plants pollinated by bees

Flowers need to attract pollinators because Flowers cannot move to find their mates! 65% of all flowering plants require Insects for pollination Bees are the most important Pollinators Bees depend on nectar and pollen for food Bees are attracted to bright color flowers – yellow and blue; red appears dull but can be seen in UV light

Bees are an ideal Pollinator Bees are an ideal Pollinator! They are the only bee that lives all year long in a colony; all other bees hibernate individually!

3 main challenges the Honeybee faces in today’s world! 1. Pesticides Neonics 2. Pests/ Diseases Varroa 3. Monocultures easier for farmers, Almonds, etc

Triple protection for flowering plants, trees and shrubs. Kills and controls insect pests, cures and prevents fungal disease and controls spider mites. Protects up to 2X longer against twice as many pests vs. other brands. Systemic rainproof protection lasts up to 30 days. Ready to Spray and Concentrate formula actives: 0.47% imidacloprid, 0.61% tau-fluvalinate and 0.65% tebuconazole. Ready to use actives: 0.012% imidacloprid, 0.014% tau-fluvalinate and 0.015% tebuconazole.

Neonicotinoids Neonicotinoids are a relatively new class of insecticides that share a common mode of action that affect the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. They include imidacloprid, Most popular neonic acetamiprid, affect ability to navigate clothianidin, neurotoxic and highly toxic to bees dinotefuran, nithiazine, Thiacloprid , low doses highly toxic to bees Thiamethoxam, systemic, goes to all parts of plant

Despite these uncertainties, Neonicotinods can also be persistent in the environment, and when used as seed treatments, translocate to residues in pollen and nectar of treated plants. The potential for these residues to affect bees and other pollinators remain uncertain. Despite these uncertainties, neonicotinoids are beginning to dominate the market place, putting pollinators at risk.

The Varroa Mite is a sucking parasite like a tick. It weakens its victim by sucking the hemolymph And carries diseases like Nosema. Weakens the bees immune system Major economic impact on Agriculture, world wide!!

Monoculture: Honeybees like monoculture because they like to go for large areas of the same crop! Honeybees are active year round but a lot of bees are not. Many go into a type of hibernation. Monoculture is easier for farmers and orchards, easier to spray and easier to harvest BUT …. Monoculture is also easier for the beekeepers! More money and seasons are predictable, and it is easier to treat them and feed them. BUT… . Monoculture is good for large corporations and commercial beekeepers but it is not good for the bees!

Genetics takes time…. Genetics happen better with a long growing season Evolution takes time Adaptation takes time Animals and plants need time to change their genomes and adapt to the environment. Tropical flora and fauna are more diverse than those in temperate zones. WHY? 365 days of growing versus 180 (more or less)

Genetic changes that beekeepers and bees are studying: Hygienic behaviors: detecting Varroa in Drone Larvae Population in Fall of bees vs Varroa Requeening in the summer/ late fall (young queens seem to do better; eggs are stronger?) Drone congregation areas – Male genetics really matter Swarms: Genes from three different fathers studied a difference in scouts vs non scouts… nature genes vs nurture genes Splitting of hives: local gene pools adapted locally

Yikes, Humans as Pollinators! A province in China with no bees! If we could see green house gases, carbon foot prints, and acid rain, maybe people would get the message!

Changes need to be made and include every area of life: economics, agriculture, politics, religious, etc. There are things you can do: Plant Gardens, home, community and school gardens Especially with plants for ALL SEASONS! 3. Don’t use Pesticides 4. Become a Beekeeper 5. Buy Organic 6. Eat Local Honey 7. Don’t over mulch 8. Become leaders 9. Report swarms 10. Educate your extended families

Can Climate Change cure Capitalism? Our economy is based on endless growth. Klein feels that what is needed is a “managed degrowth” but it will take a world wide effort in all countries, rich and poor.

Education is Exponential: Educate your Parents and your extended family.