Why Are Bees Important to the Survival of Man?

In a 1976 Handbook from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, writer S. E. McGregor states, "...it appears that perhaps one-third of our total diet is dependent, directly or indirectly, upon insect-pollinated plants." That's a pretty profound statement that should raise your eyebrows. Researches have found that man-made electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields disturb the navigation and orientation of bees. If the honeybee can't function properly or dies out, food supplies can also completely disappear. Bees are therefore vital to the survival of man--that is, if man wants to eat. Without bees, we die out, too.

Food

• The most critical area of our reliance upon bees takes place in agriculture. Fruit, grains, and vegetable plants emit flowers that need pollination to bear fruit. The honeybee is said to account for 80 percent of all insect pollination. Without the help of the honeybee in pollination, fruit and vegetable crops would significantly decrease, with everything from apples to zucchinis, nuts to soybeans, forage to cotton would begin to fail. Neither humans nor machines can replicate the all-important work that bees make look so easy.

Honey

• Bees produce honey in their honeycombs or beehives. Honey is an easily digestible, pure food with many significant attributes. It comes in many types, flavors and colors, contingent upon the source of nectar. Fireweed honey--made from the wildflowers of this northwestern US and Canadian plant--tastes different than clover honey. It might be carried in specialty health food shops where honey is sold. Honey also has antibacterial qualities. So humans who eat honey from nearby bee keepers can improve their immune system and help fend off allergies. Be aware that honey can cause botulism in children under age one and it is not recommended until they are at least two years of age. Raw honey is not advised.

Beeswax

• Beeswax comes from glandular secretions of honeybees. The bees uses this to build their honey combs. The honeycomb is where they live, leaving and returning to it between forays to pollinate. Beeswax is also important to humans. The product ends up in pharmaceuticals, natural healing, cosmetics, polishes, candles and materials for artists. Though some of these items may not be necessary to total survival, they are indeed important to humans, and even more so to the bees, which we rely upon for food. At the medicinal level, beeswax is reported to have some anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, and it stimulates the stomach, relieves pain and neutralizes toxic substances. Also of note is royal jelly, which improves nervous system function and promotes circulation.

Concerns

• Toxic pollutants and the spraying of chemicals can bring kill bee populations. Foraging bees can carry pesticide residues back to the hive; this kills the entire colony. A major source of concern is the electromagnetic interference caused by cell phones and towers and radio frequencies. Many studies have been done that show decreases in bee populations due to these technologies--beyond those caused by Colony Collapse Disorder. Avoid using toxic sprays or chemicals in your garden or home. As further research supports the known concerns, more people will begin to realize the potentially drastic repercussions we could face if bees vanish.