The widespread use of pesticides, as well as drastic environmental changes due to the climate crisis, are probably the main reasons for the extinction of bees observed in the last 15 years. The phenomenon is recorded mainly in the United States, but also in many other countries of the world, including Greece, but to a lesser extent. Professional beekeepers often report that their bees “collapse” within a few days, finding the hive almost empty and “the queen and a handful of bees remaining as if trying to resist to guard Thermopylae,” they say. Scientists note, however, that there is also a decline in the populations of wild bees and bumblebees, which simply cannot be fixed with specific statistics. The drastic decline in the bee population is of great concern as it is a sign of danger to the entire food chain. These insects are the main pollinators of a number of plants, the fruits of which fall on our table, but they also help in the reproduction of plants that are food for animals.

A UN resolution in 2017 highlighted the urgent need to protect bees, as they are directly linked to the survival of a significant portion of humanity. Without bees, the food available would be drastically reduced in terms of quantity—difficulties with pollination would produce less fruit—but also variety. Corn, rice and wheat are among the few crops that do not require insects as pollinators to reproduce. But, for example, apple, strawberry, and almond trees need bees to touch their flowers in order to transfer pollen to another plant and thus “mate” and produce fruits. 71 of the 100 most important food crops in the world are pollinated by bees. At the same time, 80% of wild vegetation is accounted for by bees.

Fani Khadzina, Biologist, Research Director of the Beekeeping Division of ELGO-DIMITRA and President of the Scientific Committee on Bee Health of the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations (APIMONTIA), reports a steady decline in the population. In some countries, such as the United States, bee populations in hives are declining by 60-70% annually. “Sometimes there is a phenomenon of destruction of the hive, as if the bees are disappearing. Otherwise, the population will decrease so much that the bees will not survive anyway,” he explains. She attributes the phenomenon to heavy pesticide use, noting that areas of intensive monoculture have the highest losses. “Many times they bring pesticide-contaminated pollen back to their nest, which they store and use in early spring when they no longer have supplies,” he describes. This is how the phenomenon of delayed losses arises – disappearances, which no one can explain.

“Climate change is also making life difficult for bees as plants bloom earlier than expected. Synchronization is lost, so they don’t find enough food,” Ms. Hajina adds. “Protecting beekeeping, apart from producing quality honey, can literally save the world,” emphasizes Georgios Pittas, owner of the Attica Beekeeping Society, explaining that beekeepers often cannot find a place to graze their bees.

More than 35% of the world’s food production depends on pollinators. 70% of the “work” is done by bees. 71 of the world’s 100 most important crops will begin to disappear if bees disappear. 4000 types of vegetables in Europe are grown thanks to bees. Beekeepers in the US have lost 45% of their bee colonies from April 2020 to April 2021. Data: Greenpeace.

“In many regions of the country there is a big problem with the placement of bees. We are fighting forest services, we should not be next to a road or in a residential area and there should be enough blooms for the bees to graze,” says Evrosa beekeepers’ association president Paschalis Christodoulou.” It is not uncommon for beekeepers to fight among themselves for a “corner” in a place with good plants so that their bees can find food.

Park in Evros

The beekeeping park, which will soon be completed in Dadia on Evros (another one is being created on Evia), will provide enough space and good conditions for beekeeping. The park has an area of ​​1600 acres, on which various shrubs have been planted and a supply of water from springs to irrigate vegetation if necessary, as well as watering cans for drinking bees.

It is an area “fully demarcated, where local beekeeping flora is sustainably managed and protected to meet the needs of colonizing bees,” says project initiator and pioneer Paschalis Harizanis, Professor and Director of the Laboratory of Sericulture and Beekeeping at the University of Agriculture. “It is very important that this area has a long flowering period so that the bees can graze for as long as they need,” adds Mr. Christodoulou, which ensures good quality honey but also reduces costs for beekeepers who do not need to add food.

Butterflies are also under threat.

The near extinction of another important insect for pollination and the functioning of the food chain has particularly worried scientists. Butterflies are becoming increasingly rare in the fields, and recently a scientific institute in the US announced that it was having difficulty finding the famous monarch butterfly. This does not mean that it does not exist, but if it is not found, it means that the population has been greatly reduced, they note. It is believed that climate change has affected the migration process of this species, which, due to the heat, starts its journey earlier, but along the way cannot find the necessary food to continue its journey. The extreme heat takes a toll on the butterflies, which, unlike the adaptable bees, are extremely sensitive. That is why scientists consider them an indicator – something like “a canary released into a mine to see if there are health problems.”