If bees go extinct, humans can only survive for 4 years

With more than 3,000 species of bees, they have an important role in the ecosystem that no other insect can replace. If one day the bees really become extinct and the reproduction of plants is hindered, more species will die out. Einstein once predicted: If the bees on the earth are extinct, humans will only survive for 4 years.

Ecological rule, restrict life

With more than 3,000 species of bees, they have an important role in the ecosystem that no other insect can replace.

According to statistics, 80% of the flowering plants in the world require insect pollination to grow and reproduce normally, of which 85%, about 170,000 species rely on bee pollination. Bee pollination is conducive to the breeding of plants, maintaining the diversity of plants, and is conducive to the restoration of ecological environment vegetation.

Strict division of labor, best use of bee

The reproduction of each bee colony is undoubtedly based on this strict and effective division of labor.

After many years of research on bees, biologists believe that the position of each member in the group is determined by their innate genes. The queen bee will mate with more than 20 drones within a period of time, and the drones selected for mating are undoubtedly the best in industries such as worker bees or soldier bees.

Dr. Thomas Redler of the University of Colorado in the United States did an experiment. When he used wooden sticks to harass the hive, he found that the first to come out of the hive to fight back turned out to be the slow-moving elderly bee, and then he saw the soldier who was responsible for the defense. Figure.

Based on this, Redler inferred that in addition to genetic decisions, the division of labor in the bee colony also has a “conscious behavior”, that is, the old bees whose lives are about to end will make the final contribution to the group.

Convey information, act in concert

The number of bees in a bee colony ranges from thousands to tens of thousands. How can such a large group accurately convey information and act in concert?

A research team from the University of California found that when the bee colony is overcrowded, the old queen bee will be surrounded by the migrated bee colony. They will rest for a few days in a temporary place such as a tree hole or an abandoned bird’s nest, waiting for reconnaissance. The bee is looking for an ideal foothold.

When the scout bees return to report the results, they will line up, dance collectively, and fly up and down, like a collective dance arranged by humans. Seeing that the bee colony is like a strategic shift of the human army, scientists do not understand how the bee colony can screen and obtain accurate information in such a short period of time.

After seeing the mark of the scout bee, they suddenly realized that the scout bee that had conveyed the wrong information was all killed by the scout bee leaders who had obtained accurate information. In this way, errors in the transmission of information by the reconnaissance bee are avoided.

So, why is the bee population declining? Biologists believe that the accumulation of pesticide residues in nature is the main culprit. The most likely cause of death of bees is a special compound (such as neonicotinoid insecticides) in plants. This compound can pass through the entire circulatory system of the plant and be transmitted to the newly grown leaves or flowers of the plant. Bees are infected with this special substance when they gather nectar.

In addition, there has also been a phenomenon called “colony failure disorder” in the UK, that is, all the bees in the hive suddenly disappear, leaving only the queen bee, bee eggs and some immature worker bees. British scientists have discovered after research that radiation from mobile phones and other high-tech products may be the culprit responsible for the massive disappearance of bees. When the mobile phone is placed near the hive, the bees are reluctant to go home or cannot find the nest that they could return to with their eyes closed.

If one day the bees really become extinct and the reproduction of plants is hindered, more species will die out. Einstein once predicted: If the bees on the earth are extinct, then humans will only survive for 4 years.