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An important job -

Bees play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity by pollinating a wide variety of plant species. This ensures that there is genetic diversity among plants, and maintains the health of ecosystems.

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Food chains -

By pollinating plants, bees help ensure the production of fruits, seeds, and other plant materials that serve as food sources for various animals.

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Habitats -

Without these crucial food chains, many animal species (insects, birds, and mammals alike) would be left without food in their habitats, which means that many ecosystems would die off.

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Plant reproduction -

Bees also assist in the reproduction of flowering plants by transferring pollen between flowers. This fertilization process allows plants to produce seeds, thus ensuring their propagation and survival. Without bees, many plant species would struggle to reproduce.

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Flowering plants -

Approximately 75% of wild flowering plants and 35% of food crops depend on animal pollination for reproduction. So, how is pollution preventing bees and similar insects from pollinating?

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Bee navigation -

Basically, air pollution interferes with bees' ability to locate flowers. Floral scents (which are crucial for guiding bees to their food sources) are masked or altered by pollution.

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Pollutants -

Pollutants such as nitrogen oxides can degrade the scent molecules that guide bees, which makes flowers far more difficult to find.

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Unrecognizable -

As pollutants react with molecules in the air, scents are drastically changed and become practically unrecognizable to pollinators.

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Strain -

Under normal conditions, scent molecules can last for nearly 40 hours and reach beehives up to 3,000 feet (915 m) away. However, researchers have discovered that polluted scent molecules last only 10 hours and travel less than 1,000 feet (305 m). Tasks that typically take bees 10 minutes to complete instead take 180 minutes.

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Sense of smell -

Polluted air doesn’t only impact the actual scent of plants, but it can also permanently damage bees' sense of smell. This makes them significantly less effective at locating nectar-rich flowers.

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Neurology -

Even more than that, the actual neurology and brains of bees can be damaged by pollution as well, which means that they are unable to form vital memories around smell that would be necessary for them to complete their biological purpose.

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Fewer visits -

Studies have revealed that plants found in polluted areas receive up to 70% fewer insect visits than those found in non-polluted regions, with flowers receiving 90% less attention.

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Below the line -

The studies even pointed out that the concentrations of pollutants for the plants that were analyzed were well below the margins of what regulators in the United States consider to be “safe.”

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Guideline -

The city of Bakersfield in California is considered the most polluted city in the United States, and its air quality is more than double the air quality guideline established for the US, and more than triple the guideline put in place by the World Health Organization.

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Bee population -

Pollution doesn’t only impact bees through their navigation. Chronic exposure to polluted air can lead to long-term population declines in bee colonies.

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Decline -

With fewer bees available to forage due to population decline, the overall rate of pollination decreases, drastically impacting biodiversity and the health of ecosystems that are dependent on these pollinators.

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Interference -

Pollutants like pesticides and heavy metals in the air can impair the reproductive health of bees, leading to fewer offspring and weakened colonies. This reduction in bee populations leads to fewer pollinators available for agricultural crops and wild plants.

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Foraging patterns -

Air pollution has also been known to cause bees to change their foraging patterns in order to avoid areas with high pollutant concentrations. Certain areas could end up being under-pollinated, especially near cities or industrial zones where air pollution is more severe.

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Black mustard plants -

Despite self-fertilization, black mustard plants saw a 14-31% drop in successful pollination in polluted conditions. This was measured by examining the number of seedpods, seeds per pod, and seedpod weight from plants engulfed by dirty air.

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Flower quality -

Air pollutants also negatively affect plant health directly, since plants rely on photosynthesis to provide clean air. This, in turn, alters the biology of plants until the quality and quantity of their nectar and pollen is also drastically compromised.

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Decreased lifespan -

Exposure to air pollutants can shorten the lifespan of bees. A reduced lifespan means that bees contribute to fewer pollination cycles over their lifetime. Not only are more and more bees dying at a faster rate, but they’re also living shorter lives.

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Bee hives -

Sadly, pollutants also have an effect on bee hives. Particulates can accumulate on hive surfaces or within hives, which ultimately contaminates and affects the overall health of the colony.

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Dying out -

Researchers have also begun to understand that certain plants will refuse to flower if there aren’t any pollinators or insects. Air pollution could cause many plant species to die out simply because insects refuse to inhabit the areas where they grow.

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Other insects -

Pollinators such as bees aren’t the only insects affected by pollutants. Houseflies are becoming increasingly unable to smell food due to pollution, for example, and the pheromones of male flies are being changed so that they smell more like females.

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Nighttime -

The most drastic observations of the impact of pollution on pollinators are at night. Certain air pollutants accumulate stronger during the hours when daylight is absent and, coupled with light pollution, they impact moths the most.

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Reduce pesticides -

While there isn’t much that individual people can do for bees, there are a few things that could help. Limiting the use of harmful pesticides is one of them, since many pesticides have toxic effects on bees. Promoting organic farming methods and safer alternatives will safeguard bee populations.

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Beekeeping initiatives -

Beekeeping projects (whether on small community scales or part of larger conservation programs) can help tremendously in maintaining and increasing bee populations.

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Bee sanctuaries -

Although cities tend to be hubs of pollution, they can play an important role in supporting bee populations by incorporating green spaces, rooftop gardens, and urban bee sanctuaries, all of which provide safe havens for bees.

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Conservation -

One of the biggest ways to help pollinators is to protect forests, meadows, and other natural habitats that serve as homes for wild pollination species. Conservation efforts should focus on maintaining biodiversity and preventing the destruction of critical ecosystems.

Sources: (ESA Journals) (Knowable Magazine) (Fisher Scientific) (BBC) (University of Reading) (National Geographic) (American Lung Association) (World Health Organization)

See also: The buzz about bees—Why they are vital to our planet

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