Rachel T. -- Over the past couple of years, scientists have discovered that the population of bumble bees (Bombus occidentalis) has decreased because of a series of diseases. These bees, plus a few others, are essential pollinators of the vegetation world. Entomologist James Strange has been working to find solutions to this alarming problem. Strange and his team have discovered a another species of bees (Bombus impatiens), originating in the Western United States and Canada, that might work as a substitute for the bumble bees in the process of pollinating our world. Although this might help the vegetation, scientists are worried that these bees not native to their new region might compete with the native bees for food and other resources. Along with these suspicions, the new pollinator might carry with them diseases or pathogens that the native bees are not prepared to fight against. Strange is also working to find a way to commercialize these new bees after he can rear the bees in the lab. A database has even been started to inform the public on the more than 80,000 bee specimens representing 10 species throughout the country.
I really enjoyed this article because it reminded me of the Bee Movie. :) This article also made me more aware of the tiny pollinators all around me that make our planet so green and lush. I know now that even though those insects scare me, that they are really just trying to make earth lovely. Or, they might just want to get whatever nutrients they need to live by pollinating and it has absolutely nothing to do with us. However, I think that this article actually does ties in to Biology, because it tell us how we are affected b y the other species on this earth that we live on, which I think is something that most of us don’t really think about on a regular basis :).
I really enjoyed this article because it reminded me of the Bee Movie. :) This article also made me more aware of the tiny pollinators all around me that make our planet so green and lush. I know now that even though those insects scare me, that they are really just trying to make earth lovely. Or, they might just want to get whatever nutrients they need to live by pollinating and it has absolutely nothing to do with us. However, I think that this article actually does ties in to Biology, because it tell us how we are affected b y the other species on this earth that we live on, which I think is something that most of us don’t really think about on a regular basis :).
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