Every day, people around the world encounter insects as pests. A cockroach roaming the kitchen, a termite infestation, or a beehive in a nearby tree are all examples of how nature can affect our everyday lives.
Some pests are more hated than others, so people would resort to calling pest control or exterminators in the North Attleboro area. Once the pest situation is under control, people can happily resume activities they were doing.
One of those insect pests is actually very important to life as we know it. Pests should still be dealt with, though, especially if they cause damage or interfere with your quality of life.
Recognizing Bees
Bees have unfortunately gained a reputation for stinging and causing pain. This is true, but it’s not only bees that sting. Wasps look a lot like bees with their yellow color and similar body shapes. Look closely, and you’ll see that bees have a small coat of hair to assist them in collecting pollen.
Wasps or yellow jackets are slightly bigger and more aerodynamic, perfect for hunting other insects. The sting of a bee can also be fatal to the bee while a wasp can continue stinging you as many times as needed.
Now that you know the differences, you know that bees are not the only insects that sting. This doesn’t mean that wasps are not important, though.
More Than Just Honey
Bees are highly under-appreciated insects that provide both humans and animals plenty of benefits. Thanks to bees, about one-sixth of flowering plants have been pollinated. Honeybees actively play a role in producing around $19 billion worth of crops in the U.S. Translation?
That’s a third of everything we eat. Along with bees, other pollinators such as butterflies, bats, and ants have contributed to these agriculture crops. Aside from the produce, bees are vital for the survival of plants and flowers.
Pollination is basically how plants reproduce. When pollen from male flowers meets with the stigma of a female flower, a seed, nut, or fruit is formed. Some species of plants rely on animals such as bees for the pollination process.
Bees also focus on visiting certain species of plants, leading to a better pollination quality instead of dispersing different pollens to different plants. The pollination process goes back to the agricultural food supply discussed earlier. Without bees, a large number of food will go missing.
Examples of these foods include fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, pumpkins, watermelons, almonds, apples, cucumbers, and many others. Let’s also not forget about the honey bees produce!
Making the World More Beautiful
In adding more importance to pollination, bees help make the flowers blossom and encourage floral growth. Healthy plants also mean creating habitats for other insects and birds. Bees can be perceived as pests, and they are In some circumstances.
They’re more than just pests, however, especially when we consider the work they do for other organisms.
More than just stinging for self-defense, bees provide us with a rich source of food and supplies of honey. They are also the reason for flowers blooming and plants nourishing us with life. It’s time people see bees beyond being pests and be considered a vital insect in our world.
