How Does Climate Change Affect Bees?

Call it what you like, there’s no denying that things are changing in the environment worldwide. Temperature swings are more extreme, less predictable, and the pendulum swings between driest drought and wettest stormy season, oftentimes without ever falling somewhere in between. Extreme weather seems like it’s becoming the norm. 

We as humans have to struggle with these ongoing changes, but so do Earth’s plants and animals. In particular, bees, the insects that are responsible for the pollination of the majority of our edible crops and wild plants, are taking a hit. Let’s get into what’s going on and how we can all pitch in to help.

Changing Temperatures, Weather Patterns, and Bees

Much in the natural world is temperature sensitive. Some plants and animals are actually temperature dependent. This means that certain biological processes are triggered by lowering or rising temperatures. So temperatures out of the normal range could prompt a flowering plant to open early or late. Warming temperatures and milder winters are often causing plants to flower earlier than they have historically. These changing environmental factors can result in longer dry spells or more intense rain, and unseasonal temperature swings, all of which can throw off the symbiotic and tightly orchestrated relationship between flowering plants and bees.

In addition to changing when a plant flowers, environmental stressors can also alter how long it flowers, and it’s even been found that rising annual temperatures cause certain plants to migrate to higher elevations. This could move them out of the range of their prime pollinators, hurting both species in the process. The quality and quantity of available nectar and pollen may also be affected, meaning that bees and other pollinators have less nutritious food sources. This can spell a negative outcome for their health and ability to withstand difficult conditions, including threats from disease. And if bees aren’t at their healthiest, they won’t be able to produce as much viable offspring either. When weather conditions shift, there’s a trickledown effect to every creature in the ecosystem.

Warmer winters can also trigger bees’ metabolisms to kick into a higher gear, increasing their need for food and thus more quickly diminishing their reserves. This may force them to emerge earlier in the year, and in less-than-ideal physical condition. Altered weather patterns may also prompt bees to come out of dormancy earlier than when their typical early spring food sources are blooming. A scarce food supply is a serious threat early in the season. At the other end of the year, bees’ fall foraging time may be abnormally extended, opening up the potential for a wider spread of pests like the parasitic Varroa mite and the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. In general, warmer temperatures are also having a direct, fatal impact on native bumblebees, which are adapted to cooler weather.

People Problems

Habitat destruction and overdevelopment make life tough for bees. They prefer having rich, dense food sources so that they can conserve precious energy when they forage for nectar and pollen. However, fragmentation of the landscape by human development breaks up natural areas and forces bees to either travel longer distances to find food, or settle for lower quality sources. 

Widespread use of invasive plant species is also a big problem for native bees, who are often adapted to need higher quality pollen and nectar, typically supplied by native species of flowering plants and trees. Beyond offering a lower nutritional profile, invasive plants also can take over natural areas and choke out native species. While some invasive plants may have arrived accidentally, many were purposely introduced into natural areas or have been used in the horticulture trade and have escaped from gardens into wild land. All together, these factors are taking a toll on bees.

How to Help Bees 

Whether you are out to help native bees or European honeybees, there are some key things to do and to avoid in order to have the biggest positive impact. Even though it can feel like most of the factors that affect bee health are far out of our control, there are some things we can do on the little patch of earth that we maintain. That includes:

• Planting wildflowers native to your region–steer clear of big box store “wildflower” mixes, which are often filled with non-native and oftentimes invasive species
• Planning a flowering garden that spans as much of a bee’s foraging season as possible–choose plants whose bloom time ranges from early spring to late autumn, and plant en masse if possible
• Avoiding the use of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers in your green spaces–homeowner use of these substances is unregulated, often excessive, and can cause environmental problems and pollinator death
• Leaving the leaves and other plant materials where they are and resisting the urge to “tidy” or “clean” the garden–downed wood, hollow stems of plants, unmulched sandy soils, brush piles, and other natural areas are ideal nesting spots for many native bee species
• Educating yourself about the interconnected relationships that exist between bees and their native environments–your local library, Wild Ones chapter, or Master Gardeners group may offer free webinars or other educational materials and events

Once you know about all the connections made between the native plants and insects that live right in your own backyard, you’ll want to let everyone know. You might even be inspired to get involved in your community to create and preserve native bee habitats. Another obvious way to help turn the tide on bee and pollinator decline is to address the underlying issues behind the changing climate. No one person can achieve this, but everyone can make small changes to reflect their concern and genuine care for the natural world.

If you find honeybees on your property, whether swarming outdoors or nesting inside a structure, please make it a goal to relocate, not to kill. Your go-to response might be to search for a bee exterminator in Cleveland, but it’s better to look for someone who can tackle bee control in Cleveland. As bee control specialists and beekeepers, the team at Cleveland Bee Removal are dedicated to client satisfaction while also doing the responsible thing for the bees. We aim to have the least impact on our local bee population and are ready to help. Contact us today to learn more about our services.