Bees are small, but their impact is mighty. People tend to fear bees, due to their ability to sting. This fear is misplaced since bees are, in fact, not dangerous unless we bother them. Bees play so many helpful roles for no cost to humans, nature, and us, they allow our worlds to flourish. Without bees, we would live in ways we could never imagine.
Bees Support Food Production and Growth
Bees support pollination. They are absolutely essential to farmers. Every single time a bee visits a flower they are supporting plants making their seeds and fruit at the time when we need food to eat. Not only do bees help support the food that we eat, but they also support the food that animals eat. Without bees, we could find ourselves potentially facing food shortages.
Read more: Boycotting Products: What Psychology Reveals
Bees Protect Biodiversity
Bees help a lot of different kinds of plants, not just crops in our food supply. They support a lot of different plants. This is what makes bees important to plant biodiversity. More dorms of plants = more life on our planet. The more healthy, or successful the bees become, the more healthy and abundant nature will become.
Bees Make Honey
Bees make honey. They start off by gathering nectar from flowers and storing it in hives. Honey is more than just a sweet treat- honey has benefits! People use honey to help with sore throats, and coughs, and even as an antiseptic on wounds. Honey is a good source of income, too. Farmers have bees for honey production as a source of income. That helps many people make money, which supports local businesses. They help with both health and the economy.
Bees Support the Economy
Bees help all businesses grow. Farmers, fruit sellers, and food companies depend on bee pollination. If bees disappear, many people will be out of work. Bees help the economy in many ways that we might not see.
In fact, honeybees add billions of dollars to the economy every year. Their labor is free, so we do not have to pay another worker in the form of time or money. Flowers and honey bees give this to us. We must protect it.
The Important Nature Balance Provided by Bees
Nature is dependent on balance. These bees create balance in nature. Bees transport pollen, are responsible for growing plants, and are a food source for animals. When bees are actively pollinating our forests, farms, and gardens everybody can thrive. If bees disappear, nature’s balance will crumble. Some plants may not be able to grow, and some animals may starve. Over time, some changes may have a fixed, if not otherwise collapse, impact on the environment.
Bees Are Threatened
Sadly, we are experiencing a decline in bees. Their numbers, statewide and worldwide, are hollowing out. Pesticides, pollution, and habitat loss impact bees. And climate change will also impact their health. Fewer flowers and more chemicals mean fewer bees. Additionally, many people kill bees simply because they fear them. This all places a great risk to bees. Hence, we must work together to make a difference.
How Do We Help Bees?
There are simple things we can do to help promote the goodness of bees. Firstly, we can plant more flowers. Bees love brightly colored flowers. Secondly, we can stop using harmful sprays directly in our gardens. There are natural alternatives (instead of chemicals) we can check out for their safety.
Also, we can purchase honey from local sellers. They care about the bees. Shopping local supports local bees and local farmers. Lastly, we can spread awareness. So, educate others to understand the value of bees.
Bees and Human Psychology
Now let’s connect this to psychology. Bees are not just good for nature but can also teach us important lessons about life. Bees are some of the hardest-working, industrious creatures. They have a deep sense of duty to their jobs and roles, especially when it comes to working in a team fashion. This can serve as a reminder of how teamwork can also serve people.
In psychology, we see a link between teamwork to happiness. When people work together in groups for a common good, we feel useful. Bees work together to achieve a single purpose. Hence, mammoth teamwork is needed for a healthy hive.
Bees and Emotional Healing
Nature calms the human mind. Just watching bees fly from flower to flower puts us in a relaxed zone. The bees are calmly focused, moving in a smooth, gently slow motion, and that focus promotes de-stressing. Even better, bees teach us to focus on the now.
When we spend time in gardens, our mental health improves; we have lower stress and have higher positive feelings. Bees are a contributor to that peaceful psychology. The buzzing, order, and busyness of the bees don’t just help promote peace on Earth—they help promote peace in our minds, too.
Bees in Culture and History
Bees have appeared in folklore and customs in many cultures. People perceive bees as symbols of hard work and wisdom. For example, bees were considered sacred animals in ancient Egypt. In Islam, there is a chapter of the Quran named after bees, Surah An-Nahl, which further indicates the high esteem of bees.
Bees are also recognized as symbols of focus, patience, and kindness. They have no expectations, and give without asking; they are persistent helpers. Bees have been admired across cultures and times. Today, science supports traditions in observable and non-observable ways and confirms that bees are a treasure.
What Happens Is Bees Disappear?
If bees disappear, the world will change. Fruits and vegetables will be hard to find. Many types of plants will stop growing. Animals will suffer from less food. People will be poor because they will have poor diets. The economy will drop. Nature will realize it has lost its most precious animals. On top of that, our minds will not have them also. Gardens will have empty spaces. Buzzing by will be replaced with quiet. This will change our connection to nature. We are losing that peace and beauty.
We Still Have Time
The good news is: that we still have time. We can take action today. We can protect moor flowers. Or, we can educate others. We can support bee-friendly farming methods. Every little bit counts for the bees. We can save them, together. We can help the world continue blooming, together. So, every flower we plant and protect by caring for the bee makes a difference.
