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With 75 percent of global crop pollination dependent on bees, it is imperative that bees survive, if we do not want a food crisis at our hands. So, what can be done to help them?
Bees are struggling to survive the extreme heat of this summer. If you have seen dead bees in large numbers around your homes this summer, you are not alone. There have been increased incidences of bees dying due to the excess heat that the UK has seen this year. But the blame does not have to lie on the heat alone. Bees have been struggling to survive; heat has just made it worse.
Why are bees under threat?
Insects are the most diverse and abundant species on the planet but are also the most threatened. Bees, especially, are being lost at an alarming rate. In 2014, 77 species of wild bees were at the risk of extinction. Today, the number has increased to 172.
The record temperatures that the UK faced in June and July of this year did not just disrupt our lives, but also the day-to-day function of bees and other insects. The increased temperatures disrupt reproduction, the ability to fly, and foraging in bees. When it gets hot, bees fan their wings to buffer the hive. However, this is not very effective during heat waves.
Even though bees can thermoregulate themselves, excessive temperature affects their health. Another factor impacting bee survival is phenological mismatch caused by climate change. This is when two
Original Record.
This archived record authored by ‘Ameya Paleja’ at ‘METEORED (Your Weather)’ was recovered from data set:
English