HOUSE OF HONEY
The history of a bee
In ancient times, long before the arrival of the first man, bees were already writing their story on this planet. Their hum has been echoing for at least 56 million years, which is well before the first man stretched his legs on the harsh soil. From the very beginning, the importance and position of bees was visible, both in nature and for the human race. Numerous drawings on the cave walls of Neolithic people testify to this. There is almost no civilization and culture that in its history did not use the medicinal benefits of honey or was in some way connected with the role of bees in our ecosystem. In ancient Hinduism, bees held a special place and were considered sacred animals.
The Egyptians, on the other hand, drew the bee symbol on papyrus as a sign of affection, and beekeeping was an extremely valued activity. Even then, honey was used both in cooking and in medicine and cosmetics. The Assyrians even "domesticated" bees to help them as additional labor in agriculture. Aristotle, Hippocrates, Pythagoras, and Democritus were the most devoted admirers of bees and honey, stressing the impeccable utility of both. Bees are a key link in the overall ecosystem of this planet, in which each being takes its place in the synergy of the life cycle. Their hard-working nature not only results in honey and benefits for people but also in the maintenance of the plant ecosystem on which we all depend.
Role of Bees on Planet Earth
It is a well-known fact that bees have an exceptional role in our ecosystem, but also a very questionable existential question considering the mass exploitation for industry, all under the auspices of the "healthy food" narrative. Our mission, as individuals, should be to send a warning about the dangers for the life of the bee and to remind ourselves of the importance of pollination of plants, because without it we cannot produce globally safe food. The human factor, if it gets out of control in terms of the reckless use of pesticides, uncontrolled forest cutting, will lead to the destruction of the entire biodiversity and ecosystem balance. The bee is a species of flying insect that originates from the superfamily Apoidea. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) originates from Southeast Asia and is thought to have developed its first community around 30 million years ago. According to scientists' observations, one bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers every day.
A bee is an insect that cannot live alone because it dies quickly outside of its community. The bee colony consists of female and male members, the queen and workers are female and the drones are male. The queen is a sexually developed female and there is one in each community, and her lifespan can be from 3 to 4 years. Nature made an effort to ensure that the structure of the bee was adapted to the flower, and the flowers with their color and appearance attract the bee, which indicates to us that the coexistence of the bee and the flower is harmonized to such an extent that it is among the greatest achievements of evolution.
Status: ENDANGERED
Unfortunately, in the last two decades, these tiny creatures have been warning of disaster with their sudden disappearance. The mysterious disappearance of bee colonies has been noticed throughout America and Europe. CCD (colony collapse disorder - the syndrome of the disappearance of bee colonies) represents the process of extinction of bee colonies in which the queen and young bees remain in the hive, and the workers leave and do not return. This term syndrome does not refer to a disease, but it warns of a disaster knocking at our door. At the beginning of the 21st century, reputable world media published a "pseudo" quote by Albert Einstein who said: "If the bee disappeared from the Earth, humanity would not have more than 4 years left to live". Whether this quote is fake or not, let's ask ourselves if it is possible.
A study from 2009 by an international group of scientists confirmed the thesis about the extinction of bees. This phenomenon is called colony collapse disorder. It is characterized by a disorder of the bees' nervous system, disorientation and loss in space, and finally, the death of bees far from the mother colony. This leads to the gradual extinction of the entire hive because the supply of food drops drastically. Just then, in 2009, the bee entered the list of endangered species for the first time in history. According to the study, the main cause of this extinction lies in the use of pesticides called neonicotinoids, which have been massively used in agriculture for the past twenty years. These pesticides of the "modern generation" appeared in France, Germany, and Italy - in the same countries where for the first time figures of a drastic decline in the number of insects, especially bees and butterflies, were observed. Tests have shown that even very small concentrations of this pesticide cause bees to die two to three times more often than those that were not treated with this agent.
Also, other symptoms in bees are weakened immunity and the appearance of various diseases, viruses and infections. The study states, hypothetically for now, that both GMO crops and cell phone radiation affect the reduction of bees. Scientists agree that the death of bees is an important segment that has a dangerous effect on the entire ecosystem around us. The mentioned pesticides not only directly affect the death of bees, but also settle in the ground, where they can remain for up to several years and reach the groundwater.
Who are pollinators?
While some plants self-pollinate, most depend on animals, wind, or water to reproduce. In addition to bees and insects, many other animals can also be pollinators - from bats, birds, and lizards that come to tropical flowers for nectar, to monkeys, rodents, and squirrels. Due to fewer bees, farmers in some parts of the world, such as China, have started pollinating their orchards. Although there is not enough data to form a clear picture, there is evidence of a significant decline in pollinator numbers, primarily due to human activity. Most data are available on bees and butterflies, and they show that one in ten species of bees and butterflies in Europe is at risk of extinction. There is not just one reason for this, but pollinators are exposed to a variety of factors that can work together. As a threat, we can mention the conversion of land due to agriculture and urbanism, which leads to the loss and degradation of natural habitats. Intensive land cultivation leads to homogenous surfaces and the disappearance of diverse flora, thereby reducing food supplies and nesting sites.
Pollinators can be affected by pesticides and other pollutants, both directly (insecticides and fungicides) and indirectly (herbicides). For this reason, the Parliament sees the reduction of pesticides as its top priority. Invasive foreign species such as the yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) and diseases such as parasites are particularly dangerous for bees. Climate change and rising temperatures as well as extreme weather conditions are other factors to consider.
ZERO HUNGER
The Zero Hunger SDG is focused on finding sustainable solutions to end world hunger. The Zero Hunger initiative aims to eradicate hunger and ensure that enough nutritious food is available to people by 2030. What do bees have to do with achieving Zero Hunger, one of the seventeen sustainable development goals? A lot. Close to three-quarters of the world's plant species depend, at least partially, on bees or other pollinators, according to the main features of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Pollinators play an essential role in helping sustainably feed the planet’s population. The worrying decline in the number of pollinators, mostly caused by intensive agricultural practices, the use of pesticides is directly related to pests and diseases.
