Save the Western Honeybee By Nicholas Crum Christa

Save the Western Honeybee By: Nicholas Crum, Christa Intong, and Cameron Marshall

Length of process • This process would be ongoing until the bee population is stable. • This is estimated is to cost around $2. 4 million dollars. • To pay for the bee farms, beekeepers, and any other expense

Effects on the natural world • Bees have a symbiotic relationship with flowers • Flowers have evloved into many bright and vibrant colors to attract bees to bring pollen from the male to the female part of the flower • In every bee colony, there is one queen bee who lays up to 5 thousand eggs a day • There can be anywhere from 30, 000 to 80, 000 bees in a single colony • They live for 3 to 5 months

The decline of population • The biggest threat to bee population is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) • Colony Collapse Disorder is when a majority of the worker bees disappear or die due to certain circumstances, and leave behind the queen bee and the immature developing bees. This causes the colony to ‘collapse’ or become inactive, causing a decrease in bee population of the area where the colony once covered.

Causes of CCD • Neonicotinoids – a neurotoxin, or pesticide that is used to kill cropeating insects, but also affects the central nervous system of bees, when they consume nectar from flowers infected with this kind of pesticide. • When bees bring back the contaminated nectar, the entire colony can be infected, causing other bees’ nervous systems to be affected causing mass confusion and leading to the downfall of the colony. • Nearly 2/3 of the bee population has died since 2015.

Risks to the Earth • If bees are endangered, humans are endangered • If bees are to go extinct, we would have a major food crisis • Nearly 1/3 of the food in the United States is the direct result of bee’s pollination • Nearly 70% of the fruit, vegetables, seeds, and nuts we consume on a daily basis. • Nearly $200 billion dollar industry that bees drive forward

R. E. C. O. V. E. R. Y. Plan • Reduce pesticides • Environmentally Dependent • Care for our bees • Organize • Vitality for crops • Educate communities • Revive our farmland • You can ‘bee’ the difference

Reduce Pesticides • One of the main reasons that Colony Collapse Disorder is happening in the hives is because of pesticides, which cause the entire colony to collapse.

Environmentally Dependent • The environment is reliant on plant’s pollination due to bees • If the bees were to die, many of the species of plants in North America and Europe would die. • 1/3 of every bite of food taken in America comes directly from bee’s pollination

Care for the bees • In order to better care for bees, there a few things that the everyday person can do • Not use harmful pesticides on your garden or flowers • If there is a bee’s nest on your property, instead of having it sterilized, call a beekeeper or a company that will give the bees to a trusted beekeeper / raiser.

Organize • Organize the priorities to save the bees. • Organize what we need, what we need to do, and when we are going to do it. • This starts with funding from the government.

Vitality for crops • Most of the crops grown in the U. S. are reliant on some form of pollination • Most of this pollination comes from the bees

Educate communites • Educate communities on the importance of bees • Many people feel as bees are bad and harmful insects • This is not the case, bees only sting when they feel threatened.

Revive our farmland • If this plan is successful, many of the currently struggling farmland in the United States will have a new life. • The bees, once they reach a stable population, will bring pollination to every farm that needs them.

You can ‘bee’ the difference • This Recovery plan starts with you, in recognizing what it takes to save the bees and our plants. • You can spread the word in your community. • If you want to learn more, visit our website – www. savethewesternhoneybees. weebly. com

A colony of bees: 1. Pollinates 4, 000 m 2 of. Pollinates trees • Contains 50, 000 bees • Produces 30 pounds of honey per year Bees contribute $400 million to the economy each year! Nearly 1/3 of the Food In the United States comes from Bees They pollinate 70 Different types of crops

Resources/Links • https: //www. nrdc. org/stories/buzz-about-colony-collapsedisorder? gclid=Cj 0 KCQi. Ai 7 XQBRDn. ARIs. ANe. LIeszi. YCw 8 Esue 70 FOYd. TL 7 Uby. UTxfg. R 9 q. Ezun_91 zhz. Kq. Gqk 5 Amwnoa. Au 1 e. EALw_ wc. B • https: //www. earthsfriends. com/the-honey-bee/ • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Jil. YBVr. Fi. LA • https: //tonic. vice. com/en_us/article/d 7 ezaq/what-would-happen-ifall-the-bees-died-tomorrow