There is a greater concern for pollinators these days, and part of that heightened awareness comes from a more widespread understanding of the role these fellow creatures on Earth play in our survival. We should be very invested in the survival of pollinators. In short, the more pollinators, the better.
Pollinators occupy a critical link in the production of our food, with close to 200 different varieties of crops dependent on pollinators. If you enjoyed an apple today, snacked on almonds, sliced open a melon, or fed the livestock alfalfa — thank your local, regional, and national pollinator crowd.
So many aspects of life as we enjoy it on this planet are dependent on the role pollination plays in the master ecosystem. Flowering plants — the development, survivability, and ability to thrive of the fruits and vegetables that are so critical in a healthy diet — depend on pollinators.
This is National Pollinator Week across the globe. There are no parades, no ribbon cuttings, no pomp and even less circumstance, but the issue of protecting our pollinators so that we protect our food supply and the lives we enjoy likely deserves being driven home with a crescendo or two.
A paper crafted by the Department of Entomology at Penn State laid out that studies in the U.S. and Europe have documented what it called “disturbing population declines and even local extinctions of select pollinator species.” The publication cited “numerous stressors” as ganging up and creating a challenging environment for bees.
It outlined threats from parasites, pesticides, the loss of diversity across the landscape, and the loss of feeding and nesting habitat. “Unfortunately, these stressors may interact synergistically to produce more detrimental effects on pollinator health,” the report said.
“Bee populations face serious threats and are declining at an alarming rate,” said Jessica Cummings from Beesponsible, a conservation-minded Kansas-based producer of raw honey. “A major threat to bees is the widespread use of pesticides in both agricultural and residential settings. These toxic chemicals kill unwanted insects and ‘weeds,’ but also pose a deadly threat to beneficial bees and the plants they need to survive.”
There is much at stake in the effort to reverse the decline in pollinator numbers, and minimize further threats. Research by the California-based Pollinator Partnership contends that 75 to 95 percent of all flowering plants require the assistance of pollinators to facilitate the transfer of pollen.
The pollination connection is necessary for more than 180,000 different plant species and more than 1,200 crops, according to the Pollinator Partnership data. Their calculations conclude that one of every three bites of food we enjoy come to us due to the work of pollinators.
Across the planet, the economic impact of pollinators is estimated at $217 billion, with close to $20 billion worth of food and beverage products in the U.S. each year coming about as the result of pollination. The conservation group stresses that the contribution of pollinators extends well beyond food production, with the work of pollinators supporting healthy ecosystems, cleaner air, the stability of soils, and protection from extreme weather.
“The economic impact of vanishing bees is staggering,” Cummings said. “Through their pollination services, bees contribute billions of dollars to the agricultural productivity of the United States every year.”
There is no doubt that the stars of this magical show in nature are those honey bees, and they create the most stir when the topic of pollinators is raised. For that pound of honey on the store shelf, studies show that honey bees will have made about two million stops at various flowers.
With each stop, these bees transfer tiny grains of pollen from one plant to another, fertilizing the reproductive part of the second flower and allowing it to then produce strong, healthy, and productive plants.
Besides the monumental benefit to the human population through this exchange carried out by pollinators and their essential role in the production in orchards, farm fields, gardens, and across the ecosystem, they do even more. Minus the pollinators and the vital link they create, there would also be a significant impact on wild animals that need the plant world for the food and shelter it provides.
Honey bees get most of the attention, and credit, for their role in the pollination process, but biologists have shown that moths, butterflies, wasps, ants, beetles, and flies are also part of the close to 200,000 species of invertebrates that work as pollinators. The pollinator squad is also made up of about 1,000 species of vertebrates, including birds, reptiles, and bats and other mammals.
In order to protect pollinators and provide them with the feeding sites and nesting habitat they require, there are a few simple steps many of us can take. Plant colorful flowers in clusters, making it easier for bees to bounce from plant to plant; choose flowers that bloom at different intervals, so there will be blossoms in spring, summer, and fall; and create pollinator-friendly habitat and host plants for certain species.
It is also vital to eliminate the indiscriminate use of pesticides and consider hiring an eco-friendly pest service to save the nests of bees, wasps, and hornets. Rose Pest Solutions has adopted a policy of removing and relocating nests or colonies of beneficial pollinators, when practical.
“Rose Pest Solutions appreciates the importance of beneficial insects in our ecosystem and we’re especially dedicated to protecting pollinators,” said Dale Hodgson, certified entomologist with Rose. “Honey bees are really cool insects; they help to raise people’s awareness of the importance of pollinator health, and they also help make connections between the field and the table.”
Contact Blade outdoors editor Matt Markey at: mmarkey@theblade.com or 419-724-6068.
First Published June 17, 2019, 8:14 p.m.
