Yes, I know that technically a bee is an insect not an animal but in this blog we don't discriminate against any creature needing help. But first, a fun fact about bees.
Fun Bee Facts
Despite their small size, bees have a lot going on. Did you know that bees can communicate over 10,000 messages to other bees? How do they do this? Why by dancing of course in what is called a "waggle dance." The "waggle dance" is used to communicate the location of nectar or pollen. The larger the quantity, the more exaggerated the dance is.(1). Can you imagine trying to communicate over 10,000 messages by dancing? I'm guessing that bees are in good shape! See Bee communication and dancing for more info. Enter the truly wild Amazon Animal Store for even more fun animal facts.
Why Bees Need Our Help
Bees are disappearing from around the world. It is estimated that the bee population has decreased by as much as 60 - 70% in the U.S. Parts of Europe are also seeing substantial decreases. Not only is this bad for bees, but it's bad for us since Albert Einsten once predicted that humans would only last 4 years without bees. Bees pollinate all of our major food sources and we depend on them more than we know. Why are the bees disappearing? Radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees' navigation systems, preventing them from finding their way back to their hives. Source: Save the Bees and the Human Race. Another issue is that at the end of honey season, it is considered too costly for farmers to winterize hives so many farmers burn them and start fresh next season. Source: Drawing the Line: Science and the Case for Animal Rights
Help Save Bees
You can help bees in two ways. First sign a petition at Save the Bees and the Human Race. It takes only a few seconds and urges government to further investigate and find a solution to the cellular phone/bee problem. Two, buy honey from farmers who don't kill the bees at the end of each season. Ask before you buy and only support those farmers who don't kill the bees.
Also join Save the Honeybees group on Facebook to show your support for bees.
Thank you for taking action to help save bees!
Sources:
1) "Dancing Under a Polarized Sky"; available at http://www.polarization.com/bees/bees.html
2) CJ. "Save the Bees and the Human Race"; available at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-bees-and-the-human-race.html
3) Steven M. Wise, Drawing the Line: Science and the Case for Animal Rights (Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus, 2002)
