by Isabel Baird
If you like chocolate, coffee, avocados and almonds- thank bees! About 90% of food consumed by humans comes from a mere 100 types of foods; of those 100, 70% are pollinated by bees. Unfortunately, bee populations are suffering and there has been a downward trend in bee and hive survival rates. An international survey of 38 countries found that the number of honey bee colonies fell by 16% in the winter of 2017 - 2018; in 2015 - 2016 the loss rate was 12%. Habitat loss and pesticides are thought to be some of the largest contributors to the decline of both the bee population and its health. This population decline means flowers, fruits, and vegetables will have difficulty reproducing, affecting local environments and food harvests. Clearly, there’s a lot at stake with these tiny insects!
But it’s not all negative — people recognize the importance of bees and are taking action! There are organizations dedicated to the science behind bees. I was lucky enough to speak with Dave Strickler, an engineer by trade and serial entrepreneur in the engineering marketplace, who uses hive telemetry to save bees. Dave entered the bee world around 2012 to try to answer the question of how to help these powerful pollinators. He found there is a ton of literature and opinions about bees and beekeeping, but there was one large gap necessary to tackle the road to bees’ recovery: hard data.
Image: BroodMinder
Enter BroodMinder: a device about the size of a postage stamp that is placed inside a beehive to monitor the hive by collecting data every hour for one year. By using this device, beekeepers receive data about their hives’ temperature, humidity, and weight without disrupting the hive and its activities. This information helps beekeepers address any hive issues, like ensuring the strict thermoregulation necessary for reproduction, as well as prepare for future beekeeping seasons.
BeeCounted, BroodMinder’s counterpart, soon followed. BeeCounted collects data from BroodMinder devices so beekeepers, entomologists (scientists who study insects), and the public, or what Dave calls “citizen scientists,” can access and analyze the data. BroodMinder is used globally, with data anonymously collected from all parts of the world and logged by zip code. This combination of engineered technology and software development benefits individual beekeepers and has the potential to inform both local and global bee trends. With this knowledge and data in hand, steps can be taken to ensure bee populations begin to increase.
Image: BeeCounted
While BroodMinder and BeeCounted are tracking data worldwide and helping inform broad action, there is also a change that can be made at local levels by you. I’m guessing that many of you reading this are most likely not beekeepers. So what can you do? Dave tells us to plant, plant, plant. A study by Nature Research, an international journal of science, found that increasing floral plantings has positive effects on wild pollinators. Chances of survival for bees is linked to “high-value foraging habitat[s], including spring floral resources.”
So, plant flowers, fruits, vegetables - anything with a flower. Humans have erased much of a bee’s normal habitat, decimating the wild fields that provide their food. When you plant flowers or vegetables, whether it be in your windowsill, backyard, or community garden, you provide food for bees. Do not underestimate the power of your actions: your plantings allow for the healthy environment necessary to help bees flourish. And when bees flourish, so do you! Individually, you can make a big difference for bees. Collectively, with local, individual action and global mobilization, we can turn the tables and help bee populations thrive.