The Threat to Bees and Our Food Supply скачать в хорошем качестве

The Threat to Bees and Our Food Supply

The European honey bees are crucial to our food systems, but they may soon be under threat from a microscopic pest. So what exactly is this threat? To learn more about other types of bees, make sure to check out the documentary, "My Garden of a Thousand Bees," streaming now on ‪@naturepbs‬ https://to.pbs.org/3DYTfpv. » Subscribe to Seeker! http://bit.ly/subscribeseeker (then hit the little 🔔 icon and select "all.") » Watch more Elements! http://bit.ly/ElementsPlaylist » Visit our shop at http://shop.seeker.com It’s no secret, bees are super important. And it’s not just for food sources; bees also keep the health of wild ecosystems in check by pollinating wildflowers, which in turn maintains biodiversity and a thriving terrestrial biomes. And while all bee species are helpful pollinators, honey bees are CRUCIAL to our own food supply, pollinating close to 90 commercially grown crops in the U.S. But bee populations have been under extreme stresses, from pesticides to the climate crisis, to parasites and diseases. We are currently losing between 30% and close to 50% of our honeybee colonies every single year. What would be worse in a situation where the balance is already kind of teetering is to add a parasite that we know has a dramatic impact on honeybees. Unfortunately, that’s exactly the situation all bees are facing. Dr. Sammy Ramsey, a scientist at the USDA, focuses on protecting bees from an emerging threat. #bees #honeybees #entomology #BeeWeek #Seeker Read More: US beekeepers continue to report high colony loss rates, no clear progression toward improvement https://ocm.auburn.edu/newsroom/news_... Beekeepers across the United States lost 45.5% of their managed honey bee colonies from April 2020 to April 2021, according to preliminary results of the 15th annual nationwide survey conducted by the nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership, or BIP. Tropilaelaps mite: an emerging threat to European honey bee https://www.sciencedirect.com/science... These organisms are likely to emerge from Asia as it is the only region where all 10 honey bee species co-occur. Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite, is a classic example of a pest that has shifted from A. cerana, a cavity-nesting Asian honey bee to A. mellifera, the European honey bee. Lab Test Rapidly IDs Potential Mite Pest of Honey Bees https://entomologytoday.org/2021/02/2... The mite also has invaded European honeybee hives where their habitats overlap, feeding on developing bees and killing them. They are considered a major economic threat to the beekeeping industry, and European and U.S. authorities are also preparing for an eventual invasive threat from the pest. Photo credit for thumbnail: USDA-ARS Electron Confocal Microscopy Unit ____________________ Elements is more than just a science show. It’s your science-loving best friend, tasked with keeping you updated and interested in the compelling, innovative, and groundbreaking science that's happening all around us. Join our passionate hosts as they help break down and present fascinating science, from quarks to quantum theory and beyond. Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe. Visit the Seeker website https://www.seeker.com/videos Elements on Facebook   / seekerelements   Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c... Seeker on Twitter   / seeker   Seeker on Facebook   / seekermedia   Seeker http://www.seeker.com/