Bee-Atitude

Lest this pass unnoticed, June 22 – June 28 is National Pollinator Week, the second annual. The resolution that makes this so was passed by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate – which means there was no roll call vote to find out who was anti-pollination.

80% of the world’s crops need pollination. Flora is dependent on 200,000 species of fauna getting the job done. As a species, bees top off the pollinating list but ants, flies - including the butter varieties, hummingbirds, the predatory wasp and even bats help out with the chore.

In 2007 Bee Movie and colony-collapse Disorder (CCD), cast the honeybee in the spotlight like a Lohan. While Barry B. Benson/Jerry Seinfeld garnered the majority of coverage, news on shrinking colonies - included a round-table (virtual) discussion at Salon.com, stories and op-eds at The NY Times and a segment on 60 Minutes (Still nothing from TMZ). As for cause of CCD, speculation originally ran from cell phone towers jamming the bees’ navigational system/instincts, to pesticides to everyone’s favorite agricultural bogeyman - genetically modified organisms.

While it is always fun to speculate and it is always popular to blame technology for the death of well, anything - it is now believed that Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) (named after the country whose scientists discovered, not caused, the virus), along with decreasing habitat, mite infestation and stress all appear to be contributors to CCD.

Busier Than A Bee

Bees who have always notably worked harder, are now actually clocking more hours than I do. On the western half of the US, colonies begin their year in the southwest, then are trucked into California to pollinate almonds, move northward for Oregon’s cherries, then spread the love with apples in Washington and wind up on the plains working the clover as fall approaches. While an individual bee, whose 6-week life span is not the one suffering the extended workload, but the toll of travel and endless pollinating on the hive cannot be underestimated in accounting for the colony's health.

Government (In)Action

The official proclamation of pollination week states:

Whereas possible declines in the health and population of pollinators pose what could be a significant threat to global food webs, the integrity of biodiversity, and human health…

Despite this and despite claiming pollinators are responsible for pollinating about 14 Billion dollars worth of crops annually - helping produce1 out 3 calories consumed, The Senate, the very same Senate, which acts like it is all pro-bee when it is expedient, did very little to promote hive health, conservation projects or subsidies to beekeepers in the massive farm bill that just passed. And was vetoed, overrode and was voted on and vetoed again due to 34 pages of text having not been sent to the White House from Capitol Hill. The bill does contain a provision funding about $75 million over five years for bee research but simultaneously promises billions in farm subsidies towards practices that could be harming the bees in the first place.

But due to the goodwill created by such hug-able resolutions as Pollinator Week, the Senate will be taking up debate on baby pandas, the playfulness of otters and kittens -cute or too cute before the current legislative session ends this year.

Rather than be cynical about human inaction, take the time this week to give thanks and praise to pollinators. Since nothing fosters appreciation like doing it yourself, go ahead try to pollinate something by hand-You’ll have a whole new level of respect for our pollen loving friends.