Bees, including honey bees, solitary bees, and bumblebees, are critical pollinators of food crops. Pollination occurs when insects transfer pollen from one flower plant to another, fertilizing the plants and allowing them to produce fruit, seeds, and other products.
If all bees became extinct, the delicate balance of the natural ecosystem would be disrupted, affecting global food supplies. The loss of these critically endangered bees would significantly impact the overall pollination, wiping out species of plants, some of which we depend on for survival.
Let’s see why you need bees around your vineyards.
1. Why Are Bees Important
Although grapevines do not require bee pollination, the cover crops and surrounding plants do. A cover crop comprises a variety of plants high in different vital nutrients that grapevines may need and that the soil may be deficient in after the prior growing season.
Other important reasons why bees are necessary to include:
- They are essential in pollination
Bees are beneficial because they pollinate plants, which helps to provide foods such as grapes, berries, nuts, and seeds.
Undoubtedly, the essential bits of our diet rely on bees for cross-pollination.
- Bees are beneficial to biodiversity
Aside from pollination, which is critical for food production, bees significantly enrich rural areas, gardens, and the overall landscape.
As a result, bees are generally environmentally beneficial. They pollinate wildflowers, trees, and shrubs, thereby increasing and ensuring plant ecosystems and beauty in terrains and gardens.
- Bees save elephants, and they may also save human lives.
Some of the more bizarre ways bees can help communities in third-world countries are by assisting in the conservation of elephants and protecting people, especially in Africa, by reducing the human-elephant dispute.
Even more shocking is that you can train bees to detect landmines and explosives.
- Significance of Bees in the Food Chain
Bees pollinate foods consumed by other birds and animals.
Birds and mammals depend on bees to pollinate berries, fruits, seeds, and nuts.
It’s important to note that pollination benefits domesticated animals as well.
For instance, cows eat alfalfa, which is pollinated by bees. As you can see, bees play an essential role in the entire food chain.
2. Reasons for Bee Population Decline
There are various reasons why the bee population is declining. Let us look at some of them.
- Invasive species
Invasive predators, pests, and disease-causing organisms known as “pathogens” have been faulted for the global collapse of bee populations. This species feeds on bee colonies; a single hornet can wipe out an entire hive.
- Chemical pollution
Pesticide exposure is a significant cause of bee populations’ decline. The three most common chemical pesticides are insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Insecticides target insect pests, antifungals target pathogenic microbes of crops, and weedkillers or herbicides target weeds.
Insecticides produce chemicals that can harm pollinators, making them a clear danger. However, they may not be the most severe issue that pollinators face. Herbicides are used five times more than insecticides in agriculture. These weed killers attack many native plants that bees rely on for food.
- Habitat Destruction
Vineyard practices have been linked to declines in ecosystems and pollination. Crop production destroys the types of nesting sites used by bees, reduces the diversity of food available to bees, and significantly affects other animals, such as wild birds, amphibians, and mammals.
- Climate Change
Global warming is thought to be a significant contributor to the decline of the bee population. Some bees can only endure a limited temperature range, and as their habitats heat up, the number of places they can live shrinks.
For instance, some people may be forced to reside at different altitudes, where the climate is more relaxed, decreasing the amount of space.
3. How to Protect Bees in a Vineyard
More winegrowers are becoming aware of the importance of bees and taking initiatives to protect them.
- Avoid Using Chemicals
Synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and neonicotinoids are incredibly toxic to bees, causing havoc on their delicate systems. Avoid using synthetics in your vineyards. Instead, use natural ingredients and remedies like compost to improve soil health and pollinate insects like bees, ladybugs, and praying mantis.
- Plant More Trees
Bees get the majority of their nectar from trees. When a tree flowers, it produces thousands of blossoms for insects to feed on. Trees are not only an excellent source of food for bees but also a critical habitat.
Bees use foliage and resin as nesting material and wooden cavities make excellent shelters. With deforestation and innovation increasing, caring for trees could help bee habitats.
- Create Habitats for Native Bees
Did you know that, apart from honeybees, most bees live alone? 70% of native bees live beneath the earth, with the remaining 30% residing in hollow stems on trees.
Bumblebees make their nests in undisturbed territory, and you can provide such a safe place for them in your vineyard by leaving an untouched piece of land. This land has tiny tube “apartments,” allowing species such as mason bees to live. The apartments are simple to make or buy.
- Use Vineyard Netting
Use vineyard netting to protect or allow bees in your vineyards. Close mesh netting is good for insect protection and prevents birds from pecking the fruit while allowing airflow around the vines.
The netting is UV-stabilized virgin high-density polyethylene. The mesh is lightweight, inexpensive, and simple to install. It can come in various sizes and varieties, so you may pick the one that best suits your vineyard.
Install netting to lift the ends or sides easily during flowering to aid pollination.
Honeybees are healthier and perform better when they have a selection of nutrients, so allowing the bees to move freely to another food source works in the grower’s favor.
Conclusion
Plants growing around grapevines are essential for a healthy vine atmosphere and require pollination from bees. Bees are the primary pollinators of many vineyard trees, shrubs, and cover crops. A self-sustaining ecosystem is essential for any natural foods or biodynamic winegrower, so many have planted trees near their vineyards.
EyouAgro netting protects your vineyard. Protecting your grapes with bee netting is an easy and inexpensive solution for growing strong and healthy fruits. Eyouagro bee netting can help ensure bee usefulness is harnessed and avoided.
Kindly contact Eyouagro or send your request to info@eyouagro.com.
