You may not have ever considered beekeeping but information concerning the falling Bee populations could have made you wonder if keeping bees could be considered a new way to help save the planet.
A recent report states that there will be several new studies to consider just why Bee populations around the world are decreasing. These studies will look at things like pesticides, disease and loss of habitat. The reason why this is so important might not be obvious to lots of us, but when you notice that in certain parts of the earth manual pollination of certain food producing plants is already taking place, it soon becomes evident that we should get an understanding of this problem very soon.
These projects are to be funded by the Insect Pollinators Initiative (IPI), and will look into the decline of other pollinators like wasps and butterflies. Others are trying to get businesses to realise the future economic problems that might transpire if this decline in pollinators is not stopped, by calculating just how much the produce that we rely upon will increase if manual pollination needs to become more extensive. It is thought that by introducing financial information into the picture corporations will be helped to be aware of the importance of projects like the one funded by the IPI.
Information about Bees and other pollinators will also help us to understand the wider ecological issues. Wild plants rely on these insects for pollination and these plants then feed other species further up the food chain. These plants are also involved in promoting rich soil conditions for future planting.
Whatever these studies eventually deliver it would seem apparent that the use of more and more pesticides, insect diseases and loss of habitat all add to the decline of honeybees and other essential pollinators. This means that it is crucial that we make our own backyards more interesting to such insects or maybe even contemplate joining the ranks of those who keep bees as a pastime or even a small business.