The western honeybee is found in all continents except Antarctica, but this might not be the case for much longer. Europe has the lowest density of free living honeybees in the world, and a study into the projected population pattern of the species has estimated the number of western honeybees is declining by 56 per cent per decade, officially marking the honeybee as “endangered in the wild” in Europe.
Honeybees face many threats – natural and human-caused – which have led to their endangered status. One such threat is habitat loss, as their native vegetation, which includes grasslands and forests, is being rapidly replaced by roads, industrial zones, and houses with manicured lawns. This has caused bees to lose the food sources and nesting sites which are necessary for survival.
Invasive species and parasites also threaten honeybee populations, such as varroa mites, which attach themselves to the bee and feed on their tissue. A further threat is human-caused climate change, which has contributed to earlier and warmer springs, creating a phenological mismatch between flowers blooming and bees arriving, leaving the bees with less food later in the season.
So how would honeybee extinction affect us? It is estimated that 84 per cent of EU crop and wildflower species rely on insect pollination, so without honeybees the reduced pollination would lead to poorer crop yields. This could detrimentally impact food production in Europe, which is already being affected by climate change induced drought. Additionally, €5b to 15b worth of the EU’s yearly agriculture yield can be directly attributed to pollinators, so the financial impact of honeybee loss could be enormous.
But there is some hope. There have already been initiatives set out by the EU to tackle this issue, such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the EU Pollinators Initiative, which have been established as “commitment[s] to reverse the decline in wild pollinators by 2030.” Whilst they have not yet produced any significant results, there is hope that they will be effective in increasing pollinator populations over the next few years.
And if you want to play your own part in helping to increase honeybee populations, you can. Start by planting bee friendly flowers, such as lavender and bee balm, in your garden or window box in order to attract wild honeybees and create a safe place for them to feed and rest.
Photo by Dmitry Grigoriev on Unsplash
