Читать книгу Beekeeping For Dummies - Howland Blackiston - Страница 16

The survival of flowering plants depends upon pollination. Any gardener recognizes the value of pollinating insects, birds, bats, and even the wind. This is an essential service in the production of seed and fruit. You may not have thought much about the role honey bees play in our everyday food supply. It is estimated that in North America around 30 percent of the food we consume is produced from bee-pollinated plants. Bees also pollinate crops, such as clover and alfalfa that cattle feed on, making bees important to our production and consumption of meat and dairy. The value of pollination by bees is estimated at around $20 billion in the United States alone.

These are more than interesting facts; these are realities with devastating consequences if bees were to disappear. And sadly, the health of honey bees has been compromised in recent years (see the later section “Being part of the bigger picture: Save the bees!”). Indeed a spring without bees could endanger our food supply and impact our economy. It’s a story that has become headline news in the media.