Heat waves may drive bees to extinction.
Climate change isn’t all bad news for our striped friends, but the negative effects of heatwaves will outweigh the possible positive effects of warming in cooler regions
A swath of recent research has shown that as climate is changing, some species and ecosystems are struggling to adapt. It’s why some have said that we’re in the midst of the “sixth mass extinction.” Although they’re small, bees have an outsize impact on the health of their ecosystems — and our collective livelihood. And some bee species are at risk of extinction.
Bumblebees are pollinators, insects essential for the well-being of both natural and human-made ecosystems. From a rolling wildflower meadow to acres of corn, bees are the diligent workers keeping things afloat. Without a healthy bee population, the natural spread of flora would be diminished and farmers would have to turn to costly alternative methods. The idea of crops pollinated by tiny robotic bee-drones has even been explored.
* THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.