KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Bees could be the hardest working creatures on the planet, upholding entire ecosystems and helping maintain biodiversity. Along with many other pollinator species, bees help plants thrive in an area.
Experts said that without bees and other pollinators, nutritious crops like fruits and vegetables would need to be substituted by staple crops like rice, corn and potatoes. They warned that could lead to widespread imbalanced diets in developing countries, threatening food security across the world.
Honeybees pollinate around 130 agricultural crops, according to experts. And many crops, like blueberries and cherries, are 90% dependent on honeybees.
Contemporary farming practices like large-scale land-use changes, mono-cropping, pesticides and climate change are all posing problems for bee populations. By extension, officials said they could threaten the quality of food.
Honeybees also face challenges like Varroa mite infestations. They appear like ticks on bees and exploit the hive's honey creation to reproduce alongside bees in hive cells.
Slovenia proposed that the United Nations proclaim May 20 as World Bee Day, and member states later unanimously approved the proposal. Beekeeping is an important part of the country's agriculture, according to their website.
However, beekeeping resources are also available closer to home. The Tennessee Beekeepers Association has several groups across East Tennessee that show people the ropes of tending to hives. The state does require all colonies to be registered with the state, however.
