Case Against Western Honey Bees

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Cierra Worley March 10, 2024 English 10 Against Western Honey Bees in North America

Pollinator insect populations are dwindling across the globe. Facing multiple obstacles, including habitat loss, harmful pesticides and invasive competitors, native pollinators must be given opportunities for success- but that does not apply to all species. In North America, Western Honey Bees are disrupting the native ecosystem by outcompeting thousands of native pollinators; these invasive bees should not be protected. Western Honey Bees are hearty, and well traveled- being on every continent but Antarctica. The Center for Invasive Species Research (CISR) elaborates on this, “[Western Honey Bees] are a hybrid between European and African bee subspecies which
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Many people don’t even know that the Western Honey Bees are an invasive, and harmful, species. Another reason Western Honey Bees are treasured in North America is their worth as commodities. According to usgs.gov, “Honey bees now help pollinate many U.S. crops like fruits and nuts. In a single year, one honey bee colony can gather about 40 pounds of pollen and 265 pounds of nectar. Honey bees increase our nation's crop values each year by more than $15 billion” But while their production of honey brings great economic benefits, it actually makes their role as an invasive competitor in the wild significantly more dangerous. Pollen and nectar are two common incentives for pollinators, two things that these bees do not leave behind. By taking these resources from the flower- something the majority of pollinators do not do- other species cannot survive in their company. Western Honey Bees are also another type of minority among bee species in North America, as they are a part of the 2% of social bees. This means that enormous amounts of these bees are crammed …show more content…
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