Experts Identify Emerging Threats to Bees, From Wars to Microplastics and Light Pollution

A
neon
cuckoo
bee
pollinating
a
flower.
University
of
Reading

United
Nations

World
Bee
Day
is
May
20,
and
a
new
report
from

Bee:wild
—
a
science-led
campaign
to
save

bees
and
other

pollinators
worldwide
—
outlines
the
12
biggest
emerging

threats
to
bees
over
the
next
five
to
15
years.

Among
the
emerging
threats
to
pollinators
identified
by
10
leading
experts
in
the
report
— 

Emerging
Threats
and
Opportunities
for
Conservation
of
Global
Pollinators
—
are

war
zones,

street
lights
and

microplastics.

“Identifying
new
threats
and
finding
ways
to
protect
pollinators
early
is
key
to
preventing
further
major
declines,”
said
lead
author
of
the
report

Simon
Potts,
a
University
of
Reading
professor
of
biodiversity
and
ecosystem
services
who
is
chair
of
the
Bee:wild
Scientific
Advisory
Board,
in
a
press
release
from
University
of
Reading.
“By
acting
early,
we
can
reduce
harm
and
help
pollinators
continue
their
important
work
in
nature
and

food
production.
Various

conservation
opportunities
already
exist
and
more
are
emerging.
This
is
not
just
a
conservation
issue.
Pollinators
are
central
to
our

food
systems,

climate
resilience,
and

economic
security.
Protecting
pollinators
means
protecting
ourselves.”

[embedded content]

Pollinators
like
bees,

bats,
butterflies
and
some

birds
are
essential
to
nature
and
the
world’s
food
supply,
with
nearly
90
percent
of
all

flowering
plants
and
more
than
three-quarters
of
the
planet’s

major
crops
dependent
on
them.

Pesticides,

habitat
loss,

invasive
species
and

climate
change
have
led
to
their
severe
decline,
causing
some
bee
species
to
go

extinct.

A
dozen
emerging
threats
to
pollinators,
ranked
by
novelty,
then
impact,
from
highest
to
lowest,
include:

1. Wars
   and
   conflicts,
   which
   force
   nations
   to
   grow
   fewer
   crop
   varieties,
   leaving
   pollinators
   without
   diverse
   food
   sources.
2. Microplastic
   pollution,
   which
   can
   reduce
   the
   health
   and
   lifespan
   of
   pollinators.
3. Poorly
   planned
   tree
   planting
   to
   meet
   net
   zero
   goals;
   planting
   trees
   can
   help
   or
   harm
   nature,
   depending
   on
   which
   types
   are
   planted
   and
   where.
4. Antibiotic
   pollution
   that
   can
   contaminate
   beehives
   and
   honey,
   affecting
   pollinator
   behavior
   such
   as
   reducing
   foraging
   and
   flower
   visits.
5. Air
   pollution
   like
   ozone
   and
   nitrogen
   that
   can
   make
   pollinator
   survival,
   growth
   and
   reproduction
   more
   difficult.
6. Increased
   indoor
   farming
   that
   can
   reduce
   wild
   pollinators’
   natural
   habitat
   and
   spread
   disease
   by
   introducing
   managed
   pollinators
   to
   wild
   populations.
7. A
   higher
   demand
   for
   mining
   materials
   such
   as
   cobalt
   and
   lithium
   used
   in
   batteries,
   which
   damages
   water
   and
   land,
   presenting
   another
   threat
   to
   pollinators.
8. Pesticide
   cocktails,
   which
   weaken
   pollinators
   who
   are
   increasingly
   threatened
   by
   dangerous
   mixes
   of
   different
   pesticides,
   especially
   in
   developing
   countries.
9. Artificial
   light
   at
   night,
   which
   confuses
   pollinators
   and
   reduces
   flower
   visits
   by
   moths
   and
   other
   nocturnal
   insects
   by
   62
   percent.
10. Pollution
    from
    toxic
    heavy
    metals
    such
    as
    mercury
    and
    cadmium
    that
    can
    harm
    the
    health,
    behavior
    and
    survival
    of
    pollinators.
11. Larger
    and
    more
    frequent
    wildfires,
    in
    combination
    with
    other
    threats,
    which
    destroy
    pollinator
    habitats
    and
    make
    recovery
    more
    difficult.
12. Regional
    loss
    of
    pesticide
    tracking,
    which
    can
    lead
    to
    overuse
    of
    these
    toxic
    chemicals
    that
    kill
    pollinators,
    remove
    floral
    resources,
    lead
    to
    resistance
    in
    pests
    and
    damage
    the
    environment.

“We
were
already
sounding
the
alarm
on
the
decline
of
our
pollinators,
but
this
new
report
underlines
that
the
range
of
threats
are
expanding.
Rather
than
being
filled
with
hopelessness,
the
purpose
of
the
Bee:wild
campaign
is
to
fuel
awareness,
urgency
and
give
everyone
agency.
There’s
a
lot
we
can
all
do
to
help
save
our
pollinators,
in
our
homes
and
everyday
lives.
Planting
flowering
plants
to
feed
them,
providing
outdoor
shelter
and
considering
healthier
diets
like
plant-based
as
well
as
pesticide-free,
all
matter
a
lot,”
said
Eva
Kruse,
executive
director
of
Bee:wild.
“It’s
getting
harder
for
our
pollinators
but
we
can
all
play
a
part
in
protecting
them
and
building
a
sustainable
future
for
all
living
things.”

The
report
also
highlights
measures
we
can
take
to
safeguard
pollinators
and
reverse
their
decline.

Some
of
these
include
stronger
antibiotic
use
laws
that
could
limit
antibiotic
pollution,
particularly
in
areas
with
no
restrictions;
building
more
solar
farms
that
double
as
well-designed,
pollinator-friendly
habitats;
agricultural
and
trade
policies
that
promote
low-pesticide
products
and
encourage
farmers
to
use
fewer
pesticides;
efforts
focused
on
protecting
native
stingless
bees,
which
are
key
pollinators
in
the
tropics;
more
effective
global
policies
and
international
regulations
and
laws,
such
as
the
European
Union’s
Nature
Restoration
Regulation,
to
support
the
protection
of
pollinators
and
reduce
carbon
emissions;
and
solutions
that
benefit
multiple
ecosystem
services
—
pollinator
protections
can
simultaneously
improve
water
storage,
soil
health
and
carbon
capture.

“The
choices
we
make
today
will
shape
the
future
–
not
only
for
pollinators,
but
for
all
life
on
Earth.
Together,
we
can
ensure
that
these
remarkable
species
continue
their
vital
work,
sustaining
the
natural
world
that
sustains
us
all,”
said
Razan
Khalifa
Al
Mubarak,
board
member
of
Re:wild
—
the
nature
conservation
organization
behind
the
Bee:wild
campaign
—
and
president
of
the
International
Union
for
Conservation
of
Nature,
who
wrote
the
foreword
to
the
report.

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