On the list of common fears, bees are ranked pretty high. This is understandable, as many people are allergic to bees, and their stings are not pleasant. However, it is important to remember the good that they do. Without bees, the world would be very different. In fact, it would not function very well at all.

The biggest positive aspect of bees is pollination. When bees carry pollen from plant to plant, they aid in the plant’s reproduction. If bees didn’t help plants reproduce, many plants would die out. According to perfectbee.com, “bees are responsible for pollinating nearly 85% of all food crops for humans, as well as numerous crops that grow the food fed to cattle.” Since plants are a fundamental part of the world’s food and industrial production, people would run out of resources. Staying alive would become a lot more difficult.

Another important contribution of bees is honey. Honey is both delicious and better for you than other sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup. It also has helpful anti-bacterial components that are used in many hospitals and households to heal wounds and fight infections. Manuka honey is especially good for this purpose. According to medicalnewstoday.com, “Manuka honey can help prevent the bacteria Clostridium difficile from settling in the body. C. difficile is known for causing severe diarrhea and sickness.” To learn more about the benefits of honey, visit the sources cited below. They’re very reader-friendly and are backed with scientific evidence.

One more beneficial contribution from bees is wax. Wax is used to make candles, lip balm, chewing gum, and many other commonly used items. Although none of these items are necessary for current human survival, they sure are nice to have. However, this was not the case for our ancestors. According to perfectbee.com, “Candle making with beeswax goes back to the 6th century A.D.” Candles have been used for both religious reasons and as a source of light for centuries. Other ancient uses for beeswax include dental fillings and sealing letters.

Unfortunately, bees are in danger. Bees around the world are dying from pesticides, air pollution, habitat destruction and other causes. Most of these problems are caused by humans. According to greenpeace.org, “The number of bee colonies per hectare has declined by 90 percent since 1962. The bees cannot keep pace with the winter die-off rates and habitat loss.” Although this problem is concerning, it isn’t unsolvable. The USA can start by banning the seven most dangerous pesticides, preserving wild habitats, and restoring agriculture. If everybody works together to protect pollinators, the bee population can increase and worries of running out of resources can decrease.

Works Cited:

https://www.perfectbee.com/learn-about-bees/the-science-of-bees/the-benefits-of-bees

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264667

https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture/save-the-bees/