Cologne, Germany (AP) – On the eighth annual “World Bees Day”, The bees did not seem disturbed.
They should be.
Bees and other pollinators were down for yearsAnd experts blame a combination of factors: insecticides, parasites, diseases, climate change and absence of a diversified food supply. An important part of human food comes from plants pollinated by bees – not only bees, but hundreds of less known wild bee species, many of which are threatened.
In 2018, the General Assembly of the United Nations sponsored the first “World Bee Day” to bring Watch out for bees. Steps as small as the planting of a pollinators’ garden or the purchase of raw honey from local farmers have been encouraged.
May 20 was chosen for the “World Bees Day” to coincide with the birthday of Anton Janša, a pioneer from the 18th century in modern beekeeping techniques in his native Slovenia.
In Germany, where bees contribute to 2 billion euros (2.3 billion dollars) in economic advantages, they are essential for pollinating the emblematic fields of yellow rapeseed which dominate the campaign in the spring.
On Tuesday, around 400,000 bees in the hives on the urban roof in the western city of Cologne – where the yellow fields flourish – were busy doing honey.
They seemed unconscious threats that endanger their survival. Scientists and bee experts like Matthias Roth, president of Cologne Beekeepers Association, Hope World Bee Day can raise awareness.
For Roth, it is crucial to protect the two bees – like those of its hives on the roof – and wild species. His organization has created nest boxes in the hope of helping solitary bees, which do not form hives, but Roth fears that this is not enough.
“We have to take care of nature,” said Roth on Tuesday. “We have become very far from nature, especially in cities, and we must take care of wild bees in particular.”
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Fanny Broodersen reported to Berlin and Michael Probst from Wehrheim, Germany. Kerstin Sopke and Stefanie Dazio contributed to this Berlin report.
