Mitigating Bee Population Decline with Biopesticides
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Campus
Daytona Beach
Status
Student
Faculty/Staff Department
College of Arts & Sciences
Student Year and Major
Junior, Astronomy and Astrophysics/Space Physics
Presentation Description/Abstract
The global bee population has been on a rapid decline, with 37% of European species showing decline in 2022 [1]. The decline is incredibly troubling, considering that bees are responsible for pollinating 80% of all flowering plants [2]. This includes plants that humans benefit from, as pollination affects ⅔ of crops that contribute to the global food system, equating to roughly $100 billion annually [5]. This decline is due to a variety of factors, particularly the harmful pesticides that cause severe consequences for helpful insects. A viable solution to increase the bee population is to replace chemical pesticides with biopesticides, pesticides derived from organic materials. Biopesticides will, in theory, remove the harmful pests an maintain the health of bees, so that vegetation can be preserved through pollinators. By examining existing biopesticides scholarship from 2000 to 2022, we found that biopesticides are effective in small quantities, degrade far more rapidly than traditional pesticides [3], and increase the overall size and yield of plant products [4]. By limiting chemical pesticides, not only will the health of bees and other pollinators be maintained, but other areas of the ecological world will see positive effects. Allowing bees to perform their task of preserving flowering vegetation will also support the wildlife who consume these plants. While research shows that biopesticides help the health of the bees and other pollinators, it is only one of many steps that needs to be implemented in order to save the bees.
Keywords
Biopesticides, Bees, Pesticides, Pollinators, Organic
Mitigating Bee Population Decline with Biopesticides
The global bee population has been on a rapid decline, with 37% of European species showing decline in 2022 [1]. The decline is incredibly troubling, considering that bees are responsible for pollinating 80% of all flowering plants [2]. This includes plants that humans benefit from, as pollination affects ⅔ of crops that contribute to the global food system, equating to roughly $100 billion annually [5]. This decline is due to a variety of factors, particularly the harmful pesticides that cause severe consequences for helpful insects. A viable solution to increase the bee population is to replace chemical pesticides with biopesticides, pesticides derived from organic materials. Biopesticides will, in theory, remove the harmful pests an maintain the health of bees, so that vegetation can be preserved through pollinators. By examining existing biopesticides scholarship from 2000 to 2022, we found that biopesticides are effective in small quantities, degrade far more rapidly than traditional pesticides [3], and increase the overall size and yield of plant products [4]. By limiting chemical pesticides, not only will the health of bees and other pollinators be maintained, but other areas of the ecological world will see positive effects. Allowing bees to perform their task of preserving flowering vegetation will also support the wildlife who consume these plants. While research shows that biopesticides help the health of the bees and other pollinators, it is only one of many steps that needs to be implemented in order to save the bees.
Comments
References:
[1] Straw, E. A., & Brown, M. J. (2021). Co-formulant in a commercial fungicide product causes lethal and sub-lethal effects in bumble bees. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00919-x
[2] Randall, B. (2022, June 6). The value of birds and bees. Farmers.gov. https://www.farmers.gov/blog/value-birds-and-bees#:~:text=Honey%20bees%20alone%20pollinate%2080,of%20many%20other%20pollinator%20species.
[3] Caldwell, J. (2020, May 1). Alternatives to conventional pesticides. IFT.org. https://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/food-technology-magazine/issues/2020/may/columns/alternatives-to-conventional-pesticides
[4] Copping, L. G., & Menn, J. J. (2000). Biopesticides: A review of their action, applications and efficacy. Pest Management Science, 56(8), 651–676. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/1526-4998(200008)56:8%3C651::AID-PS201%3E3.0.CO%3B2-U
[5] Nicholson, C. C., & Ricketts, T. H. (2019). Wild pollinators improve production, uniformity, and timing of Blueberry Crops. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 272, 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2018.10.018