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Blog Post #15

                    If I had the money, time, power, and resources that are required to lessen or reverse the effects of human impact on declining bee populations I would make several changes, all of which include government involvement.   The main things that are causing the declining bee populations are in the same way the answers and solutions to what needs to be done in order to sustain this ecological issue. The use of harmful pesticides and neonicotinoids, chemical treatments for bees and their hives, climate change, pollution, loss of habitats, and loss of food sources are the major causes of the declining bee population—all of which are the result of human impact.                      In order to realistically develop a solution to this ecological issue, not only do the bees need to be considered but the needs of the people causing the impact on their declining populations have to be taken into account as well.  Positive changes towards reversing the declining bee populations could benefit the bees but at the same time, those changes could cause negative impacts. For example, neonicotinoids and similar insecticides are a major cause of declining bee populations. Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides that are commonly used in crops and urban landscapes. Neonicotinoids are toxic to bees and they are affected by them through ingestion or direct contact. Plants that absorb insecticides which can systemically be present in pollen and nectar which is bees’ main source of food. Bees can also be exposed to the dust and residues from planting seeds treated or coated with insecticides. Many of the bees live on or near the farms using these pesticides, and therefore can easily become exposed to these chemicals. Neonicotinoid exposure (even at small doses) affects bees by causing problems with their flight and navigational abilities, reducing their immune systems ability to fight against diseases, impairing their ability to forage for food, increasing mortality, reduces consumption of food, reduces reproduction, and leaves bees lethargic and incapable of maintaining their nest—all of which are factors that may inhibit colony growth and lead to colony collapse. One might suggest to simply ban the use of neonicotinoids in Canada, however, that solution causes problems for those who need to use those chemicals. Insecticides have an important purpose for farmers, without the use of them crops will be more susceptible to pests and ultimately yield less food supply. The solution needs to account for the fact that farmers will continue to require effective methods of pest control including the use of insecticides while also protecting bees. There needs to be a balance, simply banning neonicotinoids alone is not enough of a solution as it leaves farmers with no alternatives.                                 As a solution to this problem, my plan is to have new insecticide formulas developed that are not harmful to bees but are still effective for pest control. Once new insecticide formulas are developed and available to use as an alternative—banning the use of harmful neonicotinoids from Canada becomes a much more realistic possibility. In order to execute this plan, the government of Canada will need to team up and work with large companies that are currently developing harmful insecticides such as Bayer CropScience. In order to effectively do this, the government will need to decide to change the laws and phase out the use of harmful insecticides like neonicotinoids within a time frame.  By putting pressure on these companies, the government can then make an offer to supply Bayer CropScience with funding to develop new insecticide formulas that are not harmful to bees. Having government involvement would ensure production companies are more inclined to accept this sort of partnership because banning the production and use of harmful insecticides without warning or an opportunity like this to mitigate these changes could potentially ruin a company like Bayer CropScience. Working in partnership with the government would give Bayer CropScience and other production companies time to prepare for implementing these new laws without significant financial loss. By having the government ban neonicotinoids but also offer to cover the costs of these companies to develop a new formula that is safe for bees does not give not much of an alternative to production companies. This solution takes into consideration the needs of the people causing the impact on the bee population as well as the bees.

                 Another major cause of the declining bee population is energy production, pollution, and climate change. Non-renewable energy sources can be extremely harmful to bees due to pollution from burning fossil fuels, loss of bee habitats and food supply from areas that are used to produce, obtain or extract fossil fuels from the Earth. Humans burn fossil fuels and create pollution when producing electricity, heating our homes, and burning fuel during transportation.  Pollution not only harms the bees directly but as a result of pollution we experience climate change.  Climate change can cause unusual or extreme weather conditions that may jeopardize the survival of a bee colony. Not only could weather conditions affect bee’s survival, but it also affects the vegetation that is paramount to nutritionally sustain the colony of bees feeding off of their pollen and nectar. To put that into perspective- if a harsh winter or a cold-wet spring doesn’t produce enough bee-friendly plants they likely will not have enough of a food source to survive the winter and would starve.                  In order to improve or begin to reverse the effects of non-renewable energy production, pollution, and climate change the focus needs to be on producing and consuming more renewable energy sources. Renewable sources of energy production are not only crucial to sustaining the Earth’s non-renewable resources, conserving our natural environments, and sustaining our climate change issues, but it is also an important factor in solving the problems that are causing the declining bee population. Hydroelectric energy, wind-powered energy, and solar energy are all renewable sources of energy that when being generated do not create any forms of pollution that non-renewable resources do, and do not negatively affect the lives of bees.                      My solution to this problem begins with Dr. Marla Spivak at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab who has thought of an extremely efficient solution focusing on both renewable energy and the declining bee population.  Solar power energy is gaining popularity and it’s becoming more common for landowners and farmers to use a portion of their property for large scale solar installations. The only problem with ground-mounted solar installations is that it requires space, and not much else can be utilized in that space. Dr. Spivak has suggested an idea that much more efficiently uses the space and protects bees.  Dr. Spivak is knowledgeable about the problem and understands that not only is pollution and climate change a factor in the declining bee population but a loss of habitat and loss of food source are too. Bees food sources are from pollinator-friendly flowers which are low-growing and thrive in shaded areas which makes ground-mounted solar panels an extremely ideal location for planting. Planting pollinator-friendly flowers in areas being used for large-scale solar installations not only provides a protected sanctuary for the bee habitats, but it also provides a source of food for bees.               Ontario has a lot of farmland of which has the potential to be used for large-scale installations of solar panels. Not only does this benefit the province by producing more renewable sources of energy, but it benefits the bee populations in Ontario because of pollution from extracting and burning non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels), a loss of habitat and lack of food source due to deforestation and growing urban developments are a large cause of their decline.              

                      The next part of my plan focuses on building more solar farms that are also equipped with pollinator-friendly flowers because it would help save and protect the bee population as well as contribute to energy conservation via renewable solar energy. Ontario has greatly been affected by the declining bee population, without putting in place more initiatives to help sustain this issue, we will continue to put not only our bee populations at further risk—but we also put our own food supply, and natural environments at risk. Aside from the global declining bee population, the world at large needs to be producing more renewable energy then it produces in non-renewable energy. Having the option to couple two solutions for two separate ecological issues onto one land-use area to me is a very practical and environmentally responsible plan of action towards maintaining the sustainability of both issues.                      This solution will require a few things to become a possibility. Large scale solar installations can be quite costly to assemble, there also needs to be designated areas of land in order for them to be placed on. The money will need to be invested in forming an environmental group, installing solar farms, as well as the land they are being placed on. Because the usage of non-renewable resources, pollution, and climate change are not the results of a single source and nearly everyone in our country contributes to these issues to some degree—I feel this solution should be government-funded. That being said, investors are welcome to sponsor costs, land, or supply solar panels, and on top of that ongoing funds will be raised by donations through the environmental group formed on this issue’s behalf. Investors or those donating large amounts towards this cause will be promoted by the environmental group, as well as have the option to have the names of the solar farms and the pollinator-friendly gardens dedicated to them. Many of those investors will benefit from having their company’s name associated with contributions towards renewable energy sources as well as their part in protecting and saving the bee populations.                       New government-funded environmental groups must be formed to educate people on how non-renewable resources, pollution, climate change, and loss of habitat/food source are major causes of the declining bee population. The environmental group will also educate the public on the importance of energy conservation through renewable energy sources and how by doing so it not only contributes to sustaining our life on earth but the survival of our bee populations. The group will focus heavily on educating the public on how to conserve energy and why it will help reverse the issue of declining bee populations. This group will have the ability to promote their need for the public to get involved in contributing to the solution by volunteering to help establish pollinator-friendly gardens in new or already existing solar farms. Because this environmental group will be government-funded it will be able to grow and provide free pollinator-friendly plants to volunteers that are part of the group across the country.                                         The government would have more success with putting in place an incentive for landowners to receive a rebate or a tax break if they provide a portion of their land for solar panels equipped with pollinator-friendly gardens. By landowners using some of their own lands it takes some of the pressure off of finding usable land to purchase or lease for installing new solar farms. Like all non-renewable resources, land is not unlimited and must be used sustainably. By having the opportunity to use open land that was only designated “unusable” due to a resident’s ownership of it provides a much more sustainable option than using up more resources (land) to effectively execute this plan of action. On top of all of this, the government will form a law requiring all new and existing ground-mounted solar installations to be equipped with pollinator-friendly gardens planted under and around them.                   Because these problems are not the result of a single source it is important to understand how our actions as man-kind is also affecting our chances of surviving as a whole. Action must be taken in order to reverse the damage we’ve caused to our ecosystems and bee populations.

              Without bees, many of our different ecosystems across Canada would not be sustainable. Not just in Canada, but nearly all the ecosystems in the world are affected by the very important services which bees provide. Bees are a vital component of the biodiversity exhibited in our various ecosystems. Our natural environments depend substantially on them because they are responsible for the pollination of wild plants, weeds, flowers, and even some trees. Without bees, these habitats and the thousands of species living there because of them would not flourish or survive. Consequently, a number of other species that depend on bees for more than just the pollination of their habitats would suffer. Bees themselves, and their honey, both provide a source of supply to many other insects and animals in the food chain, their disappearance would greatly affect the survival of several species.                   Not only are bees a necessity to sustain our diverse ecological environments, but they are also a major contribution to our farming industry. In Canada, and especially here in Ontario where farming is at large, we depend on bees for more than just honey. Bees are most commonly used in our agricultural practices for the purpose of cross-pollinating food crops. This process is so essential to the growth and quality of our food.   Bees attribute to the pollination of 1/3rd of our food supply. Without their help, not many of our crops like blueberries, cherries, squash, canola, apples, pumpkins, sunflowers, cucumbers, and a long list of several other fruits, seeds, nuts, and berries would not bear any yields and could cease to exist. Part of the reason why the government needs to be heavily involved in supporting and promoting this plan is because our country as a whole will need to contribute to this solution, the government cannot assume full responsibility. Our chances of survival on earth depend on the survival of bee populations, there is no way around having to make these changes to sustain this issue, our world can not afford to risk losing our bee populations altogether.

                    The third part of my plan focuses on the bee populations themselves. Because of the serious decline in their populations—banning neonicotinoids, conserving energy usage, creating less pollution, reversing climate change, and protecting the surviving colonies may not be enough support to ensure the bee populations increase again. In order for the bee populations to increase more beekeepers may be a requirement. In this case, the government or the previously mentioned environmental group will create beekeeping courses or workshops to train more people to become beekeepers and assist them with the cost associated with starting breeding programs. With the government putting an emphasis on the high demand for more beekeepers and breeding programs, and by providing education, training, and offering funds to assist with the costs, I’m certain this incentive would attract a large number of people all over the country that would want to be involved. In conclusion, there is not just one small solution to reversing this ecological issue, it must be done in multiple stages and through many methods with the help of not only the government but the individual citizens of our country.

Sources : Article By Helen Thompson, for National Geographic, Published October 5, 2013 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/10/131003-fuel-exhaust-scent-disrupts-signals-honeybees/ Bee Culture, Can Solar Sites Help Save The Bees? –  Rob Davis, July 25, 2016 https://www.beeculture.com/can-solar-sites-help-save-bees/ Research Gate , How Neonicotinoids Can Kill Bees , Publisher: Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312191957_How_Neonicotinoids_Can_Kill_Bees

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Blog Post #13 - Opinion Piece

           Without hesitation, I believe more solar farms should be created that are featured with pollinator-friendly flowers in Ontario because it would help save and protect the bee population. Ontario has greatly been affected by the declining bee population, without putting in place more initiatives to help sustain this issue, we will continue to put not only our bee populations at further risk—but we also put our own food supply, and natural environments at risk. Aside from the global declining bee population, the world at large needs to be producing more renewable energy then it produces in non-renewable energy. Having the option to couple two solutions for two separate ecological issues onto one land-use area to me is a very practical and environmentally responsible plan of action towards maintaining the sustainability of both issues. This supporting article by Rob Davis on BeeCulture.com “Can Solar Sites Help Save The Bees ?” (https://www.beeculture.com/can-solar-sites-help-save-bees/) shows a large amount of the benefits of pairing these two ecological issues into one shared solution  With regards to the declining bee population and energy production—I’ve previously mentioned in my earlier blog posts that non-renewable energy sources can be extremely harmful to bees due to pollution from burning fossil fuels, loss of bee habitats and food supply from areas that are used to produce, obtain, or extract fossil fuels from the Earth. Renewable sources of energy production are not only crucial to sustaining the Earth’s non-renewable resources, conserving our natural environments, and sustaining our climate change issues, but it is also an important factor in solving the issue with the declining bee population. Hydroelectric energy, wind-powered energy, and solar energy are all renewable sources of energy that when produced do not create any forms of pollution that non-renewable resources do, and do not negatively affect the lives of bees.   Ontario has a lot of farmland of which has the potential to be used for large-scale installations of solar panels. Not only does this benefit the province by producing more renewable sources of energy, but it benefits the bee populations in Ontario because of pollution from extracting and burning non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels), a loss of habitat and lack of food source due to deforestation and growing urban developments are a large cause of their decline. Pollinator-friendly flowers are low-growing and thrive in shaded areas which makes ground-mounted solar panels an extremely ideal location for planting. Planting pollinator-friendly flowers in areas being used for large-scale solar installations not only provides a protected sanctuary for the bee habitats, but it also provides a source of food for bees. Solar power not only benefits the Earth and our environment but it can also benefit the owners using the panels.  EnergyHub.org states that many provinces in Canada have solar rebates, incentives, and tax credits available to homeowners with solar panels. https://energyhub.org/rebates-incentives-tax-credits-canada/  Solar Panel Power Canada also offers eligible homeowners who install a solar system with one of their recommended installers a special cash incentive of 152$. https://energyhub.org/cash-incentive-program/  Although Ontario no longer has in place the GreenOn Solar Rebate because it was canceled by the Ford administration— The Government of Canada Tax Measures – Federal Tax Support for Clean Energy – Page 22-23 states: The government of Canada does currently have a country-wide federal tax provision for clean energy which is offered to businesses and farmers with renewable energy sources. Under this provision businesses as well as farms are allowed to depreciate the expense of their solar power system on a declining balance basis at an accelerated capital cost allowance rate of 50%. In terms of large-scale solar panel installations featured with pollinator-friendly flowers, this can be an extremely useful incentive as it will benefit solar power owners themselves financially, the environment, and contribute to helping to save the declining bee population.  Below is a cost-benefit analysis, based off of the “ILC Renewable Energy Sources: review summary, Page 4—Solar Power cost-benefit analysis” for the economic and environmental repercussions of implementing more solar-powered energy production in Ontario.

The benefits to the economy, the bee populations, and the environment far outweigh any negatives. I personally believe implementing more large-scale solar installations that feature pollinator-friendly flowers would be a very beneficial plan of action for the province of Ontario in terms of both energy production and protecting the bee population.  Bee Culture, Can Solar Sites Help Save The Bees? –  Rob Davis, July 25, 2016 https://www.beeculture.com/can-solar-sites-help-save-bees/ Energy Hub, Solar Power Rebates, Incentives, and Tax Credits 2019 https://energyhub.org/rebates-incentives-tax-credits-canada/ Energy Hub, Solar Power Cash Incentive https://energyhub.org/cash-incentive-program/ Government of Canada Tax Measures – Federal Tax Support for Clean Energy – Page 22-23 https://www.budget.gc.ca/2018/docs/tm-mf/tax-measures-mesures-fiscales-2018-en.pdf ILC Renewable Energy Sources: review summary, Page 4—Solar Power cost-benefit analysis https://dcc.ilc.org/snc1d/locker/snc1d_04_renewable_energy_sources_.pdf

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Blog Post #12 Roberta Bondar

Photo of Roberta Bondar, by NASA - Government of Canada, Canadian Space Agency, Mission STS-42 http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/missions/sts-042.asp Dr. Roberta Bondar has an extremely impressive educational background. She has worked extensively in several areas of sciences. As an undergraduate student she worked at the Federal Department of Fisheries and Forests, she worked for six years on spruce budworm genetics and achieved a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology and Agriculture (B.Sc), a Master of Science Degree in Pathology (M.Sc), a Doctorate in Neurobiology (Ph.D.),  and a Doctor of Medicine Degree (M.D).  While obtaining her degrees from 1964 until 1977, she attended the University of Guelph, University of Western Ontario, University of Toronto, and McMaster University. In 1981 Dr. Bondar was acknowledged as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada for neurology. Aside from her iconic educational background, Dr. Bondar was a licensed skydiver, an aquatic diver, a professional photographer of natural landscapes, as well as a private pilot. Because of Dr. Bondar’s specific areas of expertise, and her flying experience as a private pilot, she was recruited in 1983, along with five others forming Canada's first astronaut program. On January 22–30, 1992,  Dr. Roberta Bondar flew on the NASA Space Shuttle “Discovery” spending 8 days, 1 hour, and 15 minutes in space, while conducting experiments in the Spacelab. She was the first woman in space.

Eight months after returning from her mission, Dr. Bondar left the space agency participated in many speaking opportunities, wrote two books, and pursued a career in photography. Considering her education, involvement with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada for neurology, her training, scientific research, experience with the Canadian Space Program—Dr. Roberta Bondar without a doubt, possessed extremely high skills and demonstrated the competencies of critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, creativity ( her photography career, and being an author of two published books) and innovation (through leadership, experimenting with new strategies, techniques/ perspectives through inquiry research all throughout her career).

I believe, that because of Dr. Roberta Bondar’s many achievements in science degrees, especially with regards to her Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology and Agriculture, her experience working for 6 years on spruce budworms, paired with her involvement and scientific expertise in the Canadian Space Program—she would be the most qualified person to help me understand and provide solutions to the declining bee population. Her Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology and Agriculture, assures me that she would have a strong understanding of the ecological issue, and likely would have a number of equally important solutions to the many factors causing the population of bees to decline.   As previously mentioned in blog post #11, Icarus (International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space) tracks the activity of animals and insects, through an antenna on the International Space Station. The GPS tags on the selected species transmit information to the Icarus Operations Center in Russia. This data is used to study endangered species, how other species change their migration paths as the planet warms and how ecosystems are affected by invasive species, diseases, loss of habitat, etc. Martin Wikelski, the founder and director of Icarus intends to add honeybees to the list of species being tracked and studied as soon as a light enough tracking device is developed for the bees. Dr. Roberta Bondar’s immense scientific knowledge and her experience with both the Canadian Space program and the research she performed in the Spacelab (similar to the International Space Station) would qualify her as an extremely paramount addition to the Icarus Initiative. Assuming Icarus developed a suitable tracking device for honey bees, her scientific knowledge and experience would make her an asset to the Icarus Operations Center. Dr. Bondar’s history without a doubt is proof that she has the required qualifications and ability to analyze the data being received from the honey bees being tracked.  With that information, I have no doubt she would be able to answer many of the currently unanswered questions and propose a number the solutions to sustain this ecological issue.

Sources: CBC Archives: Roberta Bondar Blasts Off 1992 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N61Bv9lknIc Icarus https://www.icarus.mpg.de/en Icarus initiative: Wildlife Observation from Space https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_KNyhQMjOY#action=share Wikipedia, Roberta Bondar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberta_Bondar

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Blog Post #11

I believe if Canadian engineers invested more time into producing smaller technologies such as batteries or develop previously designed GPS tracking systems to be capable of tracking multiple bee tracking devices at a time, it would speed up the research process and enable scientists to fully understand the declining bee population and the possible ways to sustain the issue, it is absolutely possible to save the bee populations across the globe.   After doing some research, I’ve found some articles focusing on scientists doing research using GPS tracking supporting the concern and searching for solutions to the declining bee populations. In Germany, during the summer of 2009, Dr. Martin Wikelski was successfully able to track the flight pattern of bumblebees. He did so with tiny GPS devices.  Attached atop the backs of the bees was a small device resembling a little backpack, with a 3-inch antenna, responsible for transmitting the GPS locations of the bees’ flight patterns.   Although the devices proved to be successful, the bees had to work extremely hard to mobilize. Because a bumblebee weighs approximately 300 milligrams, carrying the transmitter would be the same as a 150-pound human spending every day with a 100-pound weight attached to their back.

Photo By Martin Wikelski 2009, Nautilus http://nautil.us/issue/3/in-transit/tracking-honeybees-to-save-them This study became a prospective model for addressing the declining bee population that's mostly affecting bumblebees’ smaller cousin-the honey bees. Wikelski believed tracking honeybees with GPS devices would enable researchers to establish the areas where the bees are coming into contact with viruses, bacteria, mites, and pesticides associated with their population decline. Although this type of research would indefinitely assist with solving some of the issues concerning the decline in the bee population, the current radio trackers are too heavy for honeybees to carry. Wikelski projects in the coming years that small enough devices will be created for tracking honey bees because the size of tracking technology will continue to decrease. Wikelski is the founder and director of Icarus (International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space), based in Germany. Icarus began recording the movement of various insect and animal species with an antenna on the International Space Station which started in 2015. It has equipped thousands of insects and animals with GPS tags that transmit information to the Operations Center of Icarus.  This is an incredible way space technology is helping scientists understand animal species and researching new ways to help save the declining bee populations globally.  New insights on how species spread illnesses such as viruses, bacteria, mites, and pesticides associated with the declining bee population will be provided by the efforts made by Icarus. Wikelski believes that with the development of smaller radio transmitter that does not exceed any more than 20% of a honeybees’ weight—the declining honeybee population can be understood, and ultimately saved.   In a news article written by Denise Winterman in 2013 for the BBC News Magazine, it states that GPS tracking is presently being used for analysis in a handful of research projects in England. With the ability to track bees, they are able to study how the varroa mite and neonicotinoids are impacting the flight patterns of bees. This device is quite a bit different than the previously shown device created by Dr. Martin Wikelski. Instead of a device resembling a backpack, these bees are carrying antennas nearly as long as their bodies, vertically on top of their backs. Although it looks strange, the scientists have successfully made these devices one-tenth of the honeybees’ weight and it is light enough to not affect the bees flight pattern.

 Photo from an article written by Denise Winterman August 2, 2013, BBC News Magazine   https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23448846 Researchers from England are using radars which transmit a signal that a small antenna attached on top of a honey bees' back receives. A tiny semiconductor in the center of the antenna called a diode turns it into a distinct wavelength which allows for the ability to detect and track the device. A major disadvantage with the current study in England is that only one honey bee can be tracked at a time because it could be confused with the patterns of other bees. Because this method of gathering information is very slow, their findings and knowledge of the issues are not developing at a fast enough rate, and as a result, it is a very long-standing study. There are future plans to create a new system that will be able to monitor multiple bees all at once, thus enabling the study to undergo more promptly. Improving the systems design and ability to track multiple bees will provide researchers with more answers that are greatly needed to sustain the issue of the decline in bee populations around the world.   Sources :  Tracking Honeybees to Save Them - Can outfitting bees with tiny radio transmitters solve colony collapse disorder? Article by Julie Scott -  July 11, 2013, Nautilus http://nautil.us/issue/3/in-transit/tracking-honeybees-to-save-them Photo By Martin Wikelski 2009, Nautilus http://nautil.us/issue/3/in-transit/tracking-honeybees-to-save-them Who, what, why: How do you track a honey bee? BBC News Magazine, Article by Denise Winterman 2 August 2013. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23448846

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Blog Post #10

My ecological concern is the declining bee populations.

Compounds connected to my ecological issue are:

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Nitrogen oxides are formed when nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) combine. 

Nitric Oxide (NO) - 1 Nitrogen atom - 1 Oxygen atom                                           - Non-metals bonded together             - Covalent bonds                                            

           +

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) - 1  Nitrogen atom                               - 2  Oxygen atoms - Non-metals bonded together                             - Covalent bonds                               

             =

Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) 

- 1 Nitrogen atom - 2 or More Oxygen atoms - Non-metals bonded together - Covalent bonds

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)  

- 1 Carbon atom - 2 Oxygen atoms - Non-metals bonded together - Covalent bonds

Sulfur Dioxide ( SO2)   

- 1 Sulfur atom - 2 Oxygen atoms - Non-metals bonded together - Covalent bonds

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Connections to the Periodic Table of Elements

Blog Post #9 

My ecological issue of concern is the declining bee populations.

The periodic table of elements helps me to understand how the combination of elements and their properties becomes a factor that affects bees’ chances of survival. Learning more about the elemental properties can help develop more ways in which this issue can be sustainably managed for future generations.  

The elements I believe to be connected to my ecological issue are nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, sulfur, and several others linked to bees living near mines, industrial areas, and highways such as, aluminum (Al), barium (Ba), calcium(Ca), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni), tin (Sn), palladium (Pd), silicon (Si), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and boron (B).  

 I believe these elements are connected to my ecological issue because I did research to confirm, and have provided my sources.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

Two types of gases associated with the declining bee population are nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).  In typical environmental levels, nitric oxide is not known to be harmful to health, however, nitrogen dioxide is. When these two gases are combined it forms nitrogen dioxide.

Nitrogen oxide molecules contain atoms of nitrogen and oxygen and are commonly called nitrogen oxides (NOx).

When engine fuels are burned and combined with oxygen it creates nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen oxides are known to cause air pollution. Other chemicals combined with nitrogen dioxide creates smog. Nitric acid mixed with water droplets in the air also forms acid rain.

All of these things directly affect bees the behaviors, food sources, and health (see blog post #8).  

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Carbon dioxide is a gas made of one carbon atom bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is released into the air when we burn fuels, wood, when we breathe, and when organic matter decays. Plant physiologist, Lewis Ziska says, “Pollen is becoming junk food for bees”.  Rising CO2 levels would reduce the protein content of leaves, and so insects are required to eat more plants to get the same amount of protein. It’s recently been discovered that rising CO2 affects protein content in pollen as well. Ziska discovered that the rise in CO2 affects the protein levels in pollen and considers this a factor in the declining bee populations worldwide – bees are not receiving the proper nutrition from the vegetation altered by the changed levels of (CO2 ).   

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Sulfur Dioxide is a gas made of one sulfur atom bonded with two oxygen atoms. It is generated by burning fossil fuels (coal and petroleum) and smelting of sulfur-containing mineral ores (aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, and iron). Sulfur dioxide readily dissolves to form sulfuric acid in water. A significant element of acid rain is sulfuric acid. Exposure to sulfur dioxide pollution affects male bees' flight abilities and patterns. Flight patterns are a requirement for effective mating, the air pollution from sulfur dioxide can negatively impact this. Others: Depending on location (especially if located near a mine, industrial area, or highway) several more elements can be linked to factors that cause bee populations to have serious health issues, contaminated honey, and/or die rapidly. Elements such as sulfur dioxide ( SO2 ), aluminum (Al), barium (Ba), calcium(Ca), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni), tin (Sn), palladium (Pd), silicon (Si), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and boron (B).  

Sources:

YaleEnvironment360 How Rising CO2 Levels May Contribute to Die-Off of Bees By Lisa Palmer  May 10, 2016 https://e360.yale.edu/features/bee_collapse_co2_climate_change_agriculture

Article By Helen Thompson, for National Geographic, Published October 5, 2013 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/10/131003-fuel-exhaust-scent-disrupts-signals-honeybees/ Windows to the Universe: Nitrogen oxides - Nitric oxide (NO) & Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) https://www.windows2universe.org/physical_science/chemistry/nitrogen_oxides.html The Complete Book on Beekeeping and Honey Processing (2nd Revised Edition) Chapter 23 https://books.google.ca/books?id=CYCnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA405&lpg=PA405&dq=solids+liquids+and+gases+in+beekeeping&source=bl&ots=G1s5D3p4Ha&sig=ACfU3U005IeskyPXgllw952fxncZRBGkPg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj--_6buIrkAhXEmuAKHXI4CXc4FBDoATAMegQICBAB#v=onepage&q&f=true

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Blog Post #8

States of matter in relation to the declining bee population.

SOLID

 Dust

from Neonicotinoids seed coatings. Dust affects bees from direct contact either through the air, or contact, or ingestion from plants covered or contaminated by neonicotinoids.

Pollen (bees source of protein )

that has come in contact with dust contaminated with neonicotinoids or pollen that was produced from a plant treated with systemic neonicotinoids or (other insecticides) affects bees health, as well as the honey they produce.

LIQUID

 Liquid/ Systemic Neonicotinoids

enter plants through the root systems and pass through the plant tissues.

Nectar

from plants treated with systemic neonicotinoids then produces nectar which is contaminated with these harmful chemicals. Because nectar is a major source of water and energy for bees, ingesting contaminated nectar negatively affects the bee’s health.

Honey

is a liquid produced by bees. When feeding off pollen and nectar contaminated by neonicotinoids bees produce honey that contains traces of these harmful chemicals. This can be a major issue because humans harvest and ingest honey products.

Guttation water (the secretion of droplets of water from the pores of plants) that is contaminated with systemic neonicotinoids, can expose bees to their harmful chemicals.

GAS

The burning of fossil fuels, and specific chemicals in the exhaust from diesel fuel —  nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, or NOx gases can greatly affect the life and health of bees. NOx inhibits honey bees scent signals, which can make foraging for food an extremely difficult challenge.

Another gas that can inhibit bees scent signals is smog. Smog is a mixture of airborne matter as well as toxic gases such as ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carcinogens.

Sources :

Microsoft PowerPoint 

https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2013I1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocument/40497

Neonicotinoid – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neonicotinoid

Forms of Neonicotinoids https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/pesticides/general.html

Article By Helen Thompson, for National Geographic, Published October 5, 2013 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/10/131003-fuel-exhaust-scent-disrupts-signals-honeybees/

Public Smog http://www.publicsmog.org/?page_id=7

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Must Bee-Professional

Blog Post #7 

My ecological concern is the declining bee population in Canada.

If I were to assemble a team of scientific experts to assist me in learning more about this issue, I would choose the following six professionals.

1.

@lltimms, Master of Science in Forestry (MScF) PhD. Ecology. 

Laura Timms has a Master of Science in Forestry and a PhD in Ecology. She is an ecologist that specializes in conservation, entomology, data analysis, parasitoids, and urban biodiversity. She would be number one on the team because her high level of education in ecology and forestry would be an asset to understanding the declining bee population.  Her specializing in entomology is very important to solving this issue because entomology is the study of insects and their relationship to humans, the environment, and other organisms. Furthermore, her knowledge and understanding of conservation and parasitoids are another reason I chose her because parasites and lack of conservation to bee habitats are both huge causes of the declining bee population, among other things. 

2.

@SarahSyrphid, Master of Science (M.Sc), Entomologist. 

Sarah J. Semmler, is an entomologist with a Master of Science. She would be the second choice for the team because she is a director and entomologist at the Living Prairie Museum.  The Living Prairie Museum is a 30-acre tallgrass prairie preserve designed to provide awareness, environmental education, and conservation of natural areas and wildlife including pollinators/ bees. I believe Sarah would be an extremely helpful member to have on the team based on her educational background as an entomologist, as well as her experience working with the conservation of bees and educating people at the Living Prairie Museum. 

@JayFitzsy , Terrestrial Biologist. 

Jay Fitzsimmons is a biologist living in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He’s currently employed as a Terrestrial Ecosystems Science Specialist with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. A terrestrial biologist is a scientist that studies land-based plants, animals and other living organisms. Being that he works for the Ministry of Natural resources he would be a vital part of the solution to the declining bee population. He may be in the position where he is able to influence the province's government to change laws and regulations for neonicotinoids or create more protected wildlife preserves in order to sustain the population of bees in Ontario. 

4.

@SeldomFools , Leaders in Sustainable Beekeeping 

 I chose to add Seldom Fools Apiculture to the team because they will be changing the future of sustainable beekeeping. Their specialty is focused on educating beekeepers on how to keep bees in Canada without chemical treatments. Seldom Fools will agree that neonicotinoids and pesticides are a huge part of the problems causing the declining bee population, but it goes on further to say that the chemical treatments designed specifically for bees and their hives are also causing many deaths. Their natural approach to beekeeping is what I believe will be necessary in order to sustain the declining bee populations in Ontario, both now and for future generations.                          

5

@CanEntomologist , The Entomological Society of Canada.   http://esc-sec.ca/ 

The Entomological Society of Canada is next on my list because it promotes research and disseminates knowledge about insects. They are a key factor in educating the public, government, and beekeepers of the declining bee populations across Canada. Not only can they educate people about bees but they are capable of funding and promoting research attempts aimed at solving the issue of their decline.   6.

@Beeman1979 , Commercial Beekeeper. 

Lee Townsend is a commercial beekeeper in Alberta, I chose him for the team because he is a very reputable beekeeper. I believe it would be important to have someone on the team actually involved in commercial beekeeping to help advocate the changes required to sustain this issue.    All six of the professionals previously mentioned can be found on Twitter.

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Blog Post # 6: Les Eccles, B.Sc.

Photo of Les Eccles by Eastern Apiculture Society, 2012 Eastern Apiculture Society Conference.  No copyright infringement is intended https://www.easternapiculture.org/conferences/conference-archive/eas-2012/2012-photos.html To understand more information regarding the issues associated with the declining bee population, I’ve chosen to research and learn from expert Les Eccles.

A few of the reasons Les stood out to me were quite apparent due to the high level of education he’s obtained, the many years of experience gained from beekeeping, his active participation within the Ontario Beekeepers Association, as well as his ongoing involvement in teaching apiculture to people in Ontario. I believe he would be one of the best experts from Ontario to assist with solving the declining bee populations here. 

Les’ substantial knowledge and understanding of honey bees make him an extremely important asset to repairing and sustainably managing the ecological issue of their declining population. After spending two years working with beekeepers in Mexico, to transfer beekeeping methodologies to the industry and certifying beekeeping procedures to export honey into European markets.  Les has been orchestrating new TTP initiatives over the past year to support Ontario bee breeding, pollination services, Small Hive Beetle research, and new programs for knowledge transfer. Les Eccles has been leading the Tech Transfer Program for eight years. Les has both an Agriculture Diploma and a University of Guelph Bachelor of Agriculture Science. Les first established his expertise in beekeeping at the University of Guelph Apiculture Research Centre. Les is an educator in the Commercial Beekeeping program at Niagara College, and in partnership with his spouse, the couple both operate and share ownership of a commercial beekeeping company. Les is part of a unique niche, most notably breeding programs and the replenishment of honey bee inventories. He has largely concentrated on the advancement of the Ontario Resistant Honey Bee Selections (ORHBS) program throughout the last several years. A little more information about what Les does;  The Ontario Beekeepers’ Association (OBA), Technology Transfer Program (TTP) was created in the early 1990’s. The purpose of the program is to perform research for Ontario’s beekeeping community, to assist honey bee breeding programs in Ontario and to transfer learned information, applicable skills, and various methods of operation to fellow beekeepers. The OBA Tech-Transfer Program was designed to work specifically for the beekeepers in Ontario, focusing on problems that are of great concern or significance to them and the issues of declining bee populations. Aside from neonicotinoids, the TTP focuses on some of the other causes linked to the declining bee populations such as honey bee pests, diseases, and problems associated with the use of various pest-control methods.  An integral component of the TTP is the breeding program, (which Les specializes in). The TTP also conducts research on different methods of treatment for controlling the issue of varroa mites. The intentions are to limit the amount of sometimes harmful pest control treatments that are delivered to the hives each year. Educational workshops are offered every spring by the TTP, in several locations throughout the province. These include Introductory Beekeeping, Integrated Pest Management for Beekeeping and Introductory Queen Rearing. Several online Apiculture (beekeeping) courses are also available to purchase through the OBA website.  There are many lectures and presentations from Les Eccles available online to learn more about some of the work he does and the information he shares about his findings. 

Sources:  Photo of Les Eccles by Eastern Apiculture Society, 2012 Eastern Apiculture Society Conference.  No copyright infringement is intended https://www.easternapiculture.org/conferences/conference-archive/eas-2012/2012-photos.html Ontario Beekeepers Association https://www.ontariobee.com/ https://www.ontariobee.com/outreach/about-ttp

TTP Presentation - Les Eccles, Small Hive Beetle in Ontario https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnTWgHqtnNw&t=837s

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Science Post #5                   Bees Matter is a website created in 2015, to educate the Canadian public about the importance of honey bees in our country, inform the public of the factors affecting their health, and how we can get involved and become a part of an initiative to help support the growth of their population. The creators of the site are, CropLife Canada, Bayer Crop Science, the Canadian Horticultural Council, the Canola Council of Canada, the Canadian Seed Trade Association, the Grain Farmers of Ontario, Syngenta, the Canadian Honey Council, Communities in Bloom and the Pollinator Partnership. Scientific careers involved are agricultural scientists and engineers, biologists, and chemists of both plant and animal/insect sciences.

The the site states “This website is one of several initiatives to work together with beekeepers, scientists, environmentalists and everyday Canadians to improve honey bee health. It’s an initiative to shed light on the many factors affecting honey bee health, and to do so based on a foundation of good science. That’s why we’ve launched Bees Matter, an initiative to restate agriculture’s commitment to honey bees and bring knowledge to the Canadian public about how they can get involved and help honey bees thrive.” (https://www.beesmatter.ca/) The site has a learning center that features a handful of information answering many of the questions the declining bee population has raised over the last several years.  From the history of the honey bee, to their importance to humans, our ecosystems, and their giant role in our agriculture as pollinators, to what is causing their disappearance, and how you can help contribute to their survival- there are several videos, infographics, articles, toolkits for teachers in provinces across Canada, and a page of bee-related webpage articles neatly organized for the public to explore and educate themselves with.    

The site states that Statistics Canada data shows the number of beekeepers and honey bee hives in our country is on the rise, but there are still many factors contributing to honey bee health issues.

Another initiative featured on the site made to counteract one of these issues is the Buzzing Gardens program. One factor in the declining bee population is lack of food source, so to assist with that, the program was launched and dedicated to giving Canadians what they need to set up their own pollinator-friendly gardens.

By planting a pollinator-friendly garden, you can contribute to the amount of food sources available to honey bees and support the survival of their hives, which gives them the nutrition necessary to survive our severely long, and cold winters. The site also reminds us that since bees are pollinators, and are responsible for pollinating 1/3rd of our food supply- supporting bees, and their food supply is in turn supporting our own food supply as humans.

For the last four years, Bees Matter has provided the Buzzing Gardens program free seeds to supply to the Canadian public to grow their own pollinator-friendly gardens at home.

The Buzzing Gardens program has gained a large amount of recognition over the last four years and has sent out over 250,000 Buzzing Garden seed kits across Canada. It’s absolutely made a positive impact in spreading awareness in the important role bees play in our ecosystems across Canada and help supply an option for the Canadian public to get involved in supporting the survival of honey bees by planting their own Buzzing Garden- for free!

The two barriers to success with this website are that they shared brief information to the public on the health issues with bees, and provided only one option for the public to help sustain the bee populations across Canada. It only talks about a lack of food supply as a major issue to their health – and that being a sole solution to their survival. Although that is a part of it, more issues are affecting their health that is hardly mentioned on the site. Pesticides, and climate change, or global warming are also huge factors. Another thing we can be doing to support the sustainability of our environments is by lowering our individual ecological footprints. Along with planting a pollinator-friendly garden, you can plant grass or a garden that does not require fertilizers containing harmful chemicals known to affect the bee's health.

The site for me raises an eyebrow because all the companies that started it or who sponsor it are all involved in what has impacted the bee population the most in terms of the decline in the bee population.

Canada has a large amount of corn, soy, grain, canola, wheat, and barley grown here- Most of those crops are associated with agricultural companies manufacturing seeds made with neonicotinoids.  Neonicotinoids have been associated with a large percentage of the decline in the bee population. One of the companies that produce seeds and developed the neonicotinoids contained in those seeds is the creator and sponsor of this website.

Many beekeepers and people within their community (aside from the Buzzing Gardens program) disagree with some of the information on this site. I agree with some of it, and very much like the idea of the Buzzing Gardens program, but I believe a lot more needs to be done to ensure the honey bee population stabilizes and our endangered species of bees in Ontario are no longer at risk of becoming extinct.

Ultimately, I think banning the use of neonicotinoids in Canadian agriculture like many European countries have done in recent years, doing this makes a much bigger impact on their health and survival than most of our other efforts can achieve.

However, the site is still spreading awareness to a problem that no matter who’s fault it is, or what is causing it, needs to be solved regardless. This site and the companies that operate and sponsor it are doing what they can to protect a species in the wild, and providing the option for the public to take part in an opportunity to help support the bee population absolutely free so I do believe it is helping in some very positive ways nevertheless.

Head to (https://www.beesmatter.ca/) to receive a pack of seeds with 5 types of pollinator-friendly flower strains, to grow your own Buzzing Garden, and to support the lives and health of bee populations in your community – all for free! All photos and information from (https://www.beesmatter.ca/)       

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Blog Post #4

 The issue with the declining population of bees is a great topic to show how greatly human activity impacts the lives of bees.  Being that the ecological issue I have chosen is a direct result of human activity leaves very little room for controversy. Human activities are affecting the population of bees the most through agricultural practices, land development, and climate change. The limiting factors caused by human activity in the bee population are- access to resources (food, and habitat), pesticides, and climate change. Agricultural practices used to be much safer and done on a smaller scale, now, however, we depend too heavily on the use of insecticides for crops. These insecticides are extremely toxic to bees and have resulted in a large percentage of the cause of the decline in their population. Since bees are used for pollinating one-third of our own food supply, we cannot afford to produce a sustainable amount of food for humans in Canada, and across the globe. Not only are humans affecting the population of bees that we depend on, but in turn, our actions are a factor in limiting our own survival as humans.   The destruction of natural habitats in our ecosystem happens during man-made developments, and large scale/ industrial agriculture. When we irrigate, disturb, or remove forests, fields, soil, and rocks to further develop a growing community or use land to farm crops– it leaves fewer places for bees who nest in the ground, trees and rocks to survive. Climate change/ global warming due to human activity is yet another ecological issue that’s affecting the declining population of bees. Not only do weather conditions affect bee’s survival, but it also affects the vegetation that is paramount to nutritionally sustain the colony of bees feeding off of their pollen and nectar. To put that into perspective- if a harsh winter or a cold-wet spring doesn’t produce enough bee-friendly plants they likely will not have enough of a food source to survive the winter and would starve. This, paired with the loss of habitat and food due to the ever-growing man-made developments can quickly impact the carrying capacity of our ecosystems that are dependent on the bee’s presence there. With fewer and fewer resources needed to support bee colonies, the carrying capacity will decrease and become unsustainable if we are unable to control the limiting factors caused by human activity. We especially need bees in Canada because our climate in the deciduous forest regions of Ontario still has relatively low biodiversity, meaning our reliance on bees to help sustain all of this ecosystem is much heavier. Not to mention the number of species beyond plants and humans that rely on the presence of bees that would be affected by their extinction. 

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SCIENCE POST #3 

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Bee-fore & After-Bees.

 Science Post # 2 :  Before man-made causes started negatively affecting bee population at a large scale across the globe-- Our ecosystems in Ontario especially looked a little different. There were much more abundance and preservation of the diverse natural environments this province is made of. Many of our ecosystems throughout Ontario look as beautiful as they do because of bees. These diverse environment’s sustainability is heavily dependent on the presence, and the pollination that’s provided to them by bees.��

Photo By Pixabay User / osvathpeter

https://pixabay.com/photos/hungary-debrecen-békás-tó-lake-79418/

Agricultural practices used to be much safer and on a smaller scale, however, we now require heavy insecticides for crops, and bees are used for pollinating one-third of our own food crop supply. Mankind's overuse of neonicotinoids in agriculture (refer to last blog post) and growing population has had the most effect on the decline in the bee population. The overall unsustainability of our ecosystem here is because of the destruction of the natural environment for commercial /residential development, and agriculture.  The abiotic factors involved in our sustained ecosystem, are the sun, temperature, rock, soil (many bees make their nests in the ground ), and clean water (rain, rivers, and lakes). Although the sun is not affected by the man-made causes in the declining bee population—the other abiotic factors soil, rock, and water/weather, and temperature (including global warming) are.  

The destruction of natural habitats in our ecosystem happens during man-made developments, and large scale/ industrial agriculture.

When we irrigate, disturb, or remove soil or rocks to develop a community, or growing food crops-- it leaves fewer places for biotic species like bees who nest in the abiotic factors here like soil/ground, and rock to survive.

Studies have also shown that neonicotinoids (which are a pesticide used heavily in Canadian agriculture) can leech from the soil and into the groundwater, lakes, and rivers, therefore, polluting the freshwater supply that our biotic life-- including humans, who depends on for survival.

Reflecting on the number of biotic factors in our ecosystem that are reliant on the survival bees are too great to truly fathom.  From the pollination of trees, plants, flowers, and many of the foods we eat every day, to the thousands of species co-existing in these habitats, all the way down to our own human existence-- we especially need bees in Canada because our climate in the deciduous forest regions of Ontario still has a relatively low biodiversity, meaning our reliance on bees to help sustain all of this ecosystem is much heavier. Even worse, is that there are a number of endangered bee species in Ontario because of this low biodiversity. 

The sustainability of not only our ecosystems in Ontario especially would not be possible without bees. Ontario has a large amount of its land dedicated to the growing of food crops, without bees one-third of our food supply would be non-existent. 

Photo by Pixabay User / 

AJP_Photography https://pixabay.com/photos/nature-outdoors-food-flora-seed-3332026/

Destruction of the natural environment through overdevelopment, agriculture, and the heavy use of pesticides in the agricultural industry is the most devastating causes attributing to the decline in the bee population, and ultimately the growth of our nation will be the cause of our destruction if nothing is done to sustain the issues affecting our bee population.   Sources : Annual Colony Loss Reports (2007-2018) http://www.capabees.com/capa-statement-on-honey-bees/ Beesmatter.ca https://www.beesmatter.ca/copy-of-the-history-of-the-honey-be https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/d26383_cfa72f56319a41b389321e0d6cf5488f.pdf Infograph of 1/3rd pollination food supply & food   https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/d26383_c958c73e7e5d4b94b3fa00556471b106.pdf Photo By Pixabay User / osvathpeterhttps://pixabay.com/photos/hungary-debrecen-békás-tó-lake-79418/ Photo by Pixabay User / AJP_Photography https://pixabay.com/photos/nature-outdoors-food-flora-seed-3332026/

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We Hurt the One’s We Need , the Most . Man-kind vs. Bee-kind

Science Blog Post #1  A detrimental factor to the environment, and even more necessary for our own survival are - bees. This is why it is important to understand how our actions as man-kind are also affecting our chances of surviving as a whole.  Without bees, many of our different ecosystems across Canada would not be sustainable. Not just in Canada, but nearly all the ecosystems in the world are affected by the very important services which bees provide. Bees are a vital component of the biodiversity exhibited in our various ecosystems. Our natural environments depend substantially on them because they are responsible for the pollination of wild plants, weeds, flowers, and even some trees. Without bees, these habitats and the thousands of species living there because of them would not flourish or survive. Consequently, a number of other species that depend on bees for more than just the pollination of their habitats would suffer. Bees themselves, and their honey, both provide a source of supply to many other insects and animals in the food chain, their disappearance would greatly affect the survival of several species.  

Photo of honey bee / By Pixabay User / Capri23auto https://pixabay.com/photos/bee-honey-bee-insect-pollen-nectar-4092987/ Photo of blue jay feeding babies / By Pixabay User / cytis https://pixabay.com/photos/blue-jays-feeding-bird-wildlife-2642107/  Not only are bees a necessity to sustain our diverse ecological environments, but they are also a major contribution to our farming industry. In Canada, and especially here in Ontario where farming is at large, we depend on bees for more than just honey. Bees, among quite a few other insect and animal species, are known as pollinators. Bees are most commonly used in our agricultural practices for the purpose of cross-pollinating food crops. This process is so essential to the growth and quality of our food.                              Bees attribute to the pollination of 1/3rd of our food supply. Without their help, not many of our crops like blueberries, cherries, squash, canola, apples, pumpkins, sunflowers, cucumbers, and a long list of several other fruits, seeds, nuts, and berries would not bear any yields and would cease to exist.

Beesmatter.ca https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/d26383_c958c73e7e5d4b94b3fa00556471b106.pdf  The problem is, that over the last few decades especially there has been an alarming decline in bee populations, with serious repercussions not only exclusive to Canada, but the impact is occurring on a global level.

Dead Bee By Pixabay User / rostichep https://pixabay.com/photos/bee-dead-pesticides-macro-varroa-3419634/  There a number of things occurring both naturally and man-made that as a result are causing an extremely alarming number of bees to disappear.  Common naturally occurring causes of death for bees can include different diseases, mites /parasites, predators (bears, birds, raccoons, rats/mice), and unusual or extreme weather conditions (which arguably could also be considered a man-made cause like global warming, for example)   Not only do weather conditions affect bees survival, but it also affects the vegetation that is paramount to nutritionally sustain the colony of bees feeding off of their pollen and nectar. To put that into perspective- if a harsh winter or a cold-wet spring doesn’t produce enough bee-friendly plants they likely will not have enough of a food source to survive the winter and would starve. The most extreme impact on the decline in the bee population above all previously mentioned is undeniably man-made causes. These causes stem from other man-made ecological issues like global warming, deforestation which increases loss or destruction of natural environments due to our ever-growing commercial & residential development in cities across the country, and pesticide usage in our industrial agriculture.  The destruction of natural habitats that bees live in especially occurs in Ontario where our biodiversity is lowering because of a large percentage of our land is developed for agriculture. When we irrigate, disturb, or remove soil, and forested areas to develop a community or growing food crops– it leaves fewer places for bees who nest in places like ground or forest areas to survive. Growing communities mean that the communities' food supply demands are going to increase as well. In order for farmers to ensure their crops produce a plentiful yield to support their growing communities, farmers, of course, need bees for pollination, however, they also need to protect their crop from harm against other insects. They are often required to use a variety of harmful chemicals called pesticides or insecticides to defend their crops. Neonicotinoids are a type of pesticides developed nearly four decades ago, further developing into neonicotinoid-treated seeds, which are still heavily used in our agricultural practices today. Neonicotinoids were mostly associated with assisting the protection of corn, canola, and soy crop. Neonicotinoids are the more specific variation of insecticides affecting bees here in Ontario due to the fact that Ontario currently produces most of Canada’s corn supply, canola and soy crops. 

Statistics Canada,  Census of Agriculture, 2011                                                From “Canadian grain-corn production is located in central Canada” (https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/96-325-x/2014001/article/11913-eng.ht)

 Although bees do not eat corn pollen, and interestingly don’t pollinate corn crops either, they are still affected by the pesticides in the dust that’s created as a result of planting neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Many of the bees live on or near the farms using these pesticides, and therefore can easily become exposed to these chemicals in a number of possible ways. Bees do however eat canola nectar (which is a largely grown neonicotinoid-treated crop in Ontario). Feeding off weeds, flowers, vegetables, or canola, for example, that is treated with a neonicotinoid can result in an indirect exposure of these pesticides through the nectar of that plant. 

Pixabay User / hpgruesen

https://pixabay.com/photos/agriculture-plant-protection-1359862/

The rise in attention to Canada’s decline in bee population first began in the late nineties (when neonicotinoids were being to be heavily used), but awareness especially sparked in 2007 when the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) agreed to publish and release the annual Colony Loss Reports to the public.

These reports are statistics for Canadian honey bee deaths that occur over the wintering months. It does not include deaths that occur at any other times during the year which many beekeepers deny the accuracy of these reports due to the deaths they accumulate during these months that they claim are a result of exposure to neonicotinoids.

It makes a small note throughout the statements from 2007-2013 that there are continuous concerns from Ontario and Quebec beekeepers that the colony loss is a result of exposure to neonicotinoids, however provincial apiculturists focused the attention of the causes in the report to more naturally occurring causes like mites, and weather conditions rather than the use of pesticides. 

In July 2014, after the winter of 2013, the CAPA released a report stating over that winter Ontario beekeepers alone lost a shocking 58% of their bees (acceptable margins of provincial loss is listed by CAPA around 15%). 

After this particularly bad winter drew so much more public concern to the issue of the declining bee population it appears this was the turning point in which the government of Canada’s ultimate recognition of the issue—and the views on safety, research, and regulations towards neonicotinoids effect on bees and other pollinators seem to have changed direction.   

After much debate in earlier years from the companies that developed neonicotinoids (who claimed their products are safe for bees) and backlash from the beekeepers and environmentalist communities -the government has since preformed additional research and confirmed in their updated Pollinator Protector statements that these pesticides can, in fact, cause death or serious harm to bees and they require more careful considerations while using these neonicotinoids more specifically. 

Canada, in more recent years, has been working with scientists, farmers, beekeepers and the public to both find answers and create solutions to the serious decline in the bee population. There’s a number of brand new Canada and Ontario targeted websites educating the public and spreading awareness on the significance of bees, why they are most important for our survival, and how the issue of their declining population can be sustained for the future generations before it is too late to recover from the significant of our bee population. Health Canada has since put a couple regulations in place, acting as risk management practices for reducing harm to bees while neonicotinoids are being used. Although ongoing efforts are still actively being discussed to further protect bees, and other pollinators- unfortunately, at this point in time, Health Canada, will not grant individual provinces the authority to completely ban neonicotinoids. They are still heavily being used by our agricultural practice across Ontario, Canada, and the United States.  Sources : Annual Colony Loss Reports (2007-2018) http://www.capabees.com/capa-statement-on-honey-bees/ Beesmatter.ca https://www.beesmatter.ca/copy-of-the-history-of-the-honey-be https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/d26383_cfa72f56319a41b389321e0d6cf5488f.pdf Infographic of 1/3rd pollination food supply & food   https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/d26383_c958c73e7e5d4b94b3fa00556471b106.pdf Government of Canada Statement on Pollinator Protection : https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/pesticides-pest-management/growers-commercial-users/pollinator-protection.html Photo of honey bee / By Pixabay User / Capri23auto https://pixabay.com/photos/bee-honey-bee-insect-pollen-nectar-4092987/ Photo of blue jay feeding babies / By Pixabay User / cytis https://pixabay.com/photos/blue-jays-feeding-bird-wildlife-2642107/ Photo of dead bee / By Pixabay User / rostichep https://pixabay.com/photos/bee-dead-pesticides-macro-varroa-3419634/ Photo of Agriculture / Pixabay User / hpgruesen https://pixabay.com/photos/agriculture-plant-protection-1359862/ Statistics Canada,  Census of Agriculture, 2011 ( Photo Chart ) From ‘Canadian grain-corn production is located in central Canada‘https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/96-325-x/2014001/article/11913-eng.htm The Global Mail, News Article “Why is Canada’s bee population in rapid decline?” by Eric Atkins Published July 23, 2014, Updated May 12, 2018 https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/why-is-canadas-bee-population-so-drastically-in-decline/article19735416/