Bye, Bees: What Would Happen If Bees Disappear?

goodbye bee

Is there anybody in this world who doesn’t know what bees are? We highly doubt it. The classic and famous black-and-yellow-striped insect has constantly been in Science textbooks — at an early age, we already know that they’re our source of honey. Though they have painful stings, they’re not something that pest control services consider a serious threat. Bees are not pets — but they’re not exactly pests, either.

However, the number of bees has decreased over the years because of urban and industrial developments that have threatened their way of life. The destruction of their natural habitats and use of pesticides can also be blamed. We may not be aware of it, but we are losing bees at a much more alarming rate than we can imagine.

Though they are widely popular, have you ever wondered what life would be like without bees? Will the Earth still be a good place to live in if all of these creatures would disappear? Read on to find out.

 

POLLINATION WILL BE REALLY DIFFICULT

hungry bee

Bees have a special role to play in the ecosystem. They are responsible for 90% of the pollination of crops that feed the whole world. Bees are critical pollinators—the entire food chain will be so messed up if they go extinct. Human population will be very hard to sustain because food will be scarce. Examples of the plants and trees that bees pollinate are apples, coffee, eggplants, cashews, mangoes, onions, avocados, grapes, cucumbers, okra, strawberries, blueberries, and watermelon, among many others. Agriculture will collapse—the supply of fruits and vegetables will be cut down to less than half. Bees must have access to enough food, or we will not have food.

THERE WILL BE NO MORE HONEY

no more honey

Aside from adding a yummy hint of sweetness to food, honey is also beneficial to our health. It helps fight off infection and promotes healing of wounds and is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. In case you missed it, there is only one creature in the world that can produce honey — bees. With the destruction of beehives, the production of honey is gravely affected. A lot of beekeepers will lose profit if this problem remains unsolved. The honey exportation industry will not flourish anymore if bees will not be taken care of, thus taking away the livelihood of many.

CLOTHES PRODUCTION WILL DECREASE

pet in bee

It is not known to many that bees also pollinate cotton, which is the most widely used material in making clothes. Without busy bees, humans would have to rely on man-made fabrics which could drastically deplete various resources.  So the next time you strike a pose for your #OOTD, spare a moment to thank the bees.

CERTAIN MEDICINES WILL CEASE TO EXIST

sick beee

People usually scamper away when there is a bee in sight, because their stings can be life-threatening if one is allergic to its venom. However, technology has stepped in and put bee venom to good use—medicines. Moreover, Morphine, a prescription drug which is used to relieve extreme pain, is extracted from opium poppies that are pollinated by bees. Though they can self-pollinate, cross-pollinated ones have shown more potential for medicine production and the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.

 

BEE RESPONSIBLE!

Bees may be little, but they are a very important link to the cycle of life on this planet. We have a little or no chance at all of surviving if all bees in the world die. They are vital for life and environment sustenance so we should all make conscious efforts to keep them from going extinct. Let’s try our best to refrain from doing activities which could harm the ecosystem. The hardworking bees of this world don’t deserve to suffer from an early demise; if they do, we will also risk losing our lives.

Pest Wars: The Battle between Japanese Giant Hornets and Japanese Honey Bees

Previously we talked about the clash between termites and ants, and you’ve learned firsthand how ants almost effortlessly defeat their larger and clumsier foes in battle. They’re constantly at each other’s throats, much like how the hornets and bees in Japan are always prepared to mobilize against each other. And while ants and termites fight on land, these guys took to the skies (or at least as far above ground as they can manage).

You’d better call pest control immediately since this clash can get also pretty nasty for civilians like you and me.

japanese honey bees
Japanese Honey Bee

Pretext

The Japanese giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia japonica) lust for honey; sadly, they cannot make their own. So they need to steal from those who can, namely the Japanese honey bees (Apis cerana japonica) which work for humans in numerous bee farms all over Japan. However, the bees can only produce so much honey for their employers and themselves, so they’re not very generous with anyone else. Thus, the hornets tend to take it by force.

Reconnaissance

The hornets never rush at their enemies recklessly; they’re too cunning for that. Instead they send a single hornet scout to look for a bee hive. Once one is located, the hornet leaves a trail of pheromone in and around the bee’s nest; this acts as a marker that will attract other hornets to the target.

Defense

But the bees anticipate this infiltration and act accordingly. They’d let the hornet scout inside the hive unmolested, and at the proper moment they’d converge on it in a ball of vibrating bee bodies. This trap serves to kill the scout since a hornet can only take up to 46 °C (115 °F) while the bees can tolerate up to 50 °C (122 °F). The ball can get hot enough to kill the hornet, although other bees might die in the process. They deem this a necessary sacrifice for if a single hornet escapes, they’re doomed.

honey bees vs giant hornets

Offense

If a hornet scout manages to return to its base, the hive prepares its army. A single hornet can kill up to 40 bees in a minute, and a well-organized platoon of 30 hornets can decimate more than 30,000 of their foes in just 3 hours! Smaller and less evolved, the bees can put up a courageous fight but all their efforts are in vain.

Aftermath

At the end of the day, the bee hive is all but destroyed. Bee heads and limbs lay on the colony floor one on top of the other while the hornets feast on the honey they left behind. Sometimes they even lick it off the bee’s corpses. And as if that’s not enough, they also prey on the bee’s larvae and some of these are taken back to the enemy’s colony to be eaten by their young. Thus they went home victorious and with their lust satisfied—for now at least!

Asian-giant-hornet
Japanese Giant Hornet

Battles between bees and hornets can be really intense, and we can be among the civilian casualties. In Japan the hornets are known for being the second most lethal animal after humans, deadlier even than bears and venomous snakes. So better watch out for them in case they decide to have a few rounds against each other. Or better yet, call professional pest exterminators immediately at first sign of trouble!