Running Head: SAVED BY THE BEES

Saved By the Bees

Vanessa Lee, Garrett Cleary, and Sinead Myers

Cathedral Catholic High School

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Table of Contents

1. Background

a. 1.1 History of Problem......3

b. 1.2 How the Problem Developed..3

c. 1.3 How it was Discovered...3

d. 1.4 What Other Parties Have Done to Help Solve this Issue3

e. 1.5 Relevant Laws or Treaties...3

f. 1.6 Our Position on the Problem...4

2. Information

a. 2.1 Causes of the Problem.4

b. 2.2 Consequences of the Problem- Present and Future.5

3. Opinions

a. Proposed Solutions....5

b. Opposing Positions and Rebuttal..6

4. Works Cited..7
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The Bee community is responsible for the survival of mankind. As our affluence grows

and science becomes more reliable, we are better able to recognize the needs of every species.

What scientists have noticed is the decline of bee population. The Honeybee Colony Collapse

Disorder (CCD) is a phenomenon where the

bee colony disappears and leaves the queen

behind to be cared for by a few nurse bees

(Colony Collapse Disorder 2017).

Beekeepers noticed an alarming drop in bee

numbers since the 1990s. Californias honey

production halved in six years ("Death And

Extinction" 2007). Starting in the 1990s bee keepers noticed a significant decline in bee

populations. Furthermore, beekeepers reported a more alarming decline in the honeybee decline

of up to of hives up to 90%. In the winter months, scientists have revealed a 30-80% hive

loss. Unfortunately, since this is so common, beekeepers now believe that a 15% loss is

acceptable (The Plight of the Honeybee 2017). The figure above shows honey bee colony loss

estimates from 2006 to 2015, it is clear that losses are becoming greater and much higher than

the acceptable level (Chow, 2016). Thankfully, numerous states and groups have reacted

initiative have been made to irradiate the problem of honeybee decline. The PAN Europe

launched a campaign to prevent the use of harmful neonicotinoids and fipronil insecticides. This

campaign fights neonicotinoids and fipronil insecticides. The EU just recently announced that

they are going to ban neonicotinoids, a pesticide that causes bee die-off. The US has yet to pass a
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law that bans the use of many harmful pesticides but did extend federal land to create

sanctuaries (Carrington, 2017). As a group, we believe in the conservation of bees. Their

importance in the world is too great to ignore. Although we cannot single handedly save the bee

population, we know it is important to take action.

There are multiple causes of the declining number of bee populations. These causes

range from overharvesting, loss of habitat, or use of pesticides. A new government study blames

a combination of factors for the mysterious and dramatic loss of honeybees, including increased

use of pesticides especially in the US, shrinking habitats, multiple viruses, poor nutrition and

genetics, and even cell phone towers. However, according to last years joint EPA-USDA study,

the biggest cause is the parasite called the Varroa destructor, a type of mite found to be highly

resistant to the insecticides that US beekeepers have used in attempts to control the mites from

inside the beehives The same study blames poor

nutrition and risk of pesticides. Nutrition is an

important factor to the longevity of a colony. Colonies

depend upon floral resources for their nutrition and to

support colony health (Pasquale, 2013). Pesticides

affect bee productivity and the overall health of the

population. (USDA and EPA). Neonicotinoids are

chemical poisons that when exposed to bees, damage

the sensory reception and memory. Exposing bees to

neonicotinoids cause bees to consume less food and

affect their ability to fly. Neonicotinoids are

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responsible for millions of deaths of bees (Bogan, 2016). The figure shows the day where 50% of

the bee population has died off, the rate of die off is higher in the parasitized bees (Pasquale,

n.d.). In the last five years, 30% of the national bee population has disappeared and a third of the

bee colonies in the U.S. have died out. The rate of the bee populations is slowly growing,42%

more growth last year than the year before. But even at this rate the estimated monetary loss is

30 billion dollars a year. Today, leading types of global crops rely on pollination. These crops

include fruits, vegetables, and other foods that supply nutrients and vitamins to humans. A third

of our food is provided by the bees. Without the presence of bees, humans would cease to exist.

We rely too heavily on bees pollination in order to survive without their crops ("Decline Of Bees

Poses Potential Risks To Major Crops, Says UN")

Our proposed solution the problem is to source plants that are bee friendly and plant them

on our school campus. The plants will require low maintenance and must thrive in a wide range

of temperatures. The plants will lure more bees to our campus and provide a sustainable

environment for them to survive. Our action steps will be broken down into an eight-step plan:

(1) Create a relationship with head school landscaper and request their guidance on the project,

(2) Research drought tolerant and bee friendly plants once approval is given, (3) Perform a

search on plants native to San Diego, (4) Submit a list of flowers to head landscaper and

coordinator of CCHS: Sal, (5) Plant Flowers, (7) Lay irrigation for flowers around that require it,

(8) Ensure that our flowers will be maintained naturally, without the use of harmful pesticides

like neonicotinoids. The following image, at the bottom of the page, displays the optimal

flowers for bees at a specific season.

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Some believe that there is no need for conservation efforts to save the bees. From 2004-2014,

there was a gain of around 104,000 bee colonies. Because bee population fluctuates, some

believe there was never a bee-pocalypse. Bees die and reproduce at alarming rates, so the

numbers are not reliable when taking population decline into consideration. (The Buzz: Six

Reasons Not To Worry About The Bees). We believe that there should be a conservation effort

to save the bees because humans are directly responsible for their demise. Bees will continue to

die unless we change our practices in farming and impact on the environment. At the highest

level, all dangerous pesticides should be banned and farming philosophy should be more

concerned with ensuring biodiversity instead of making profit. At a lower level, normal citizens

can practice planting bee friendly plants and preserving their natural habitats. If we plant a

proportionate amount of plants to crops that are native to the area, bees will have a chance to

flourish.
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Works Cited

Bogan, M. (n.d.). Why are the bees dying recap | Stanford Daily. Retrieved from

http://www.stanforddaily.com/2016/11/08/why-are-the-bees-dying-recap/

Carrington, D. (2017, March 23). Europe poised for total ban on bee-harming pesticides.

Retrieved May 20, 2017, from

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/23/europe-poised-for-total-ban-on-bee-har

ming-pesticides

Chow, Loraine. (2016, June 27). U.S. Honeybee Population Plummets by More Than 40%,

USDA Finds. Retrieved May 23, 2017, from

http://www.ecowatch.com/u-s-honeybee-population-plummets-by-more-than-40-usda-finds-18

2040733.html

Colony Collapse Disorder. (2017, April 18). Retrieved May 20, 2017, from

https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/colony-collapse-disorder

"Death And Extinction Of The Bees | Global Research - Centre For Research On Globalization".

Globalresearch.ca. N.p., 2017. Web. 9 May 2017.

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"Decline Of Bees Poses Potential Risks To Major Crops, Says UN". the Guardian. N.p., 2017.

Web. 9 May 2017

Leendertz, L. (2014, April 22). Increase Your Garden's Bee Population. Retrieved May 08, 2017,

from https://www.fix.com/blog/bring-back-the-bees/

Miller, H. I. (2016, September 17). The Buzz: Six Reasons Not To Worry About The Bees.

Retrieved May 23, 2017, from

https://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2016/08/24/the-buzz-seven-reasons-not-to-worry-abou

t-the-bees/

Nio, E. L. (2016, May 27). Deciphering the mysterious decline of honey bees.Retrieved May

08, 2017, from

https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/deciphering-mysterious-decline-honey-bees

Pasquale, G. D., Salignon, M., Conte, Y. L., Belzunces, L. P., Decourtye, A., Kretzschmar, A., . .

. Alaux, C. (n.d.). Influence of Pollen Nutrition on Honey Bee Health: Do Pollen Quality and

Diversity Matter? Retrieved May 20, 2017, from

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0072016

USDA and EPA Release New Report on Honey Bee Health. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20,

2017,https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2013/05/02/usda-and-epa-release-new-report-h

oney-bee-health
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