Why that tiny bee is a big deal in food security

A friend, Dennis Solika called me yesterday after seeing me busying myself with the World Bee Celebrations that were marked in Nakuru on May 20. Solika laughed at the thought of dedicating the whole day to a bee and how that was connected to my work as a veterinary doctor. I know many people often wonder why the big deal about the bee. 

There are more than 20,000 species of bees on the globe. The honey bee is the most important because it is hard work as a pollinator. Did you know that to make a kilogram of honey, this insect must must visit four million flowers. In so doing pollinating millions of crops and contributing to food security. In as much as there are other pollinators; the bee stands out in that it can easily managed and moved in high numbers to different crops when needed throughout the growing season. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) the resilience of the bee is seen in over 65 per cent increase in their colonies since 1961. This increase has been achieved by the bee despite a lot of disturbance attributable to human activities, hence the important role played by the World Bee Day. This day serves to raise the awareness of the important role played by the bee for humanity’s benefit.

So, why the bee?

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Research has it that if humanity wants to become extinct then they can start by eradicating the bee. Should the become extinct today then we can start packing as humanity for within a decade we shall all be dead, including other animals. How will this happen? As bees move around in search of nectar to make the sweet honey they play another very important role of pollinating crops. Without pollination 85 per cent of our crops will not yield and without food we shall be dead within a short time. Bees and other pollinators contribute to 35 per cent of the world’s total crop production, through their pollinating function in 87 of 115 leading food crops worldwide. The price tag of global crops directly relying on pollinators is estimated to be between $235 and $577 billion a year. According to the Kenya Institute for Public Policy and Research (Kippra) over 90,000 Kenyans are directly employed by the bee and a further 547,440 are beneficiaries of the bee sub sector.  This can be easily increased if the bee is given its due honour as a life giving and saving insect. 

Bees too get sick

Like any other animal, bees too get sick, bees are attacked by both internal and external parasites. But this is unknown to many. Bee colonies need the attention of a veterinary doctor to check the health of the bees and to prescribe treatment when sickness is diagnosed. This diseases are spread by movement of bees across plants that have been contaminated with disease causing micro-organisms and equipment used in bee production systems. Currently there is no vaccine for any bee disease but there are medication for various diseases which your veterinary doctor will advise. Varroa mite and nosema are important bee parasites while brood bacterial diseases like American and European foulbrood are examples. Things to watch out for include inability to fly, diarrhoea dead bees, wind deformities, diseased colonies will be spotty, combs will have dried remains of larvae. These are indicators of disease that require veterinary intervention. Human activities that are harmful to the bee include use of crop sprays that kill the bee. Destruction of forests that limit availability of nectar is also a problem.