Bee Population And Honey Production Increased During COVID-19 Lockdown

Ever since the Bee Movie, the world has gotten a little more aware of the plight of bees and their dwindling population as well as what it can do to us in case we don¡¯t do anything about it.

It is no news that the bees are extremely crucial for our survival on this planet. They¡¯re responsible for pollinating the crops and seeds that eventually grow and feed us.

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However, just like other things that have healed a little in nature due to COVID-19 lockdown, so has the bee population. And the main reason behind this is the reduction in population levels.

Death of bees due to human activity

A 2016 study highlights how the existence of pollutants in air considerably impacts the floral scents in the air. This, in turn, makes it more difficult for bees to look for their food and forces them to take longer trips that not only exhaust them terribly but can also be very risky.

Another study in 2015 revealed that around 24 billion bees and wasps were killed due to moving vehicles -- that is a considerable number given the importance of honey bees in pollination of other trees and wider ecosystem.

COVID-19 lockdown impact on bees

However, with a drop in pollution, honey bees have been getting back to their usual routines better and their population is also slowly growing,

The bee population is thriving around the globe and they're able to look for nectar more than ever. ¡°In a world with less air pollution, bees can make shorter and more profitable ¡®shopping trips¡¯, and this may help them rear more young,¡± says Mark Brown, professor of evolutionary ecology at Royal Holloway, the University of London in a conversation with BBC.

The non-existence of cars on the street has also positively affected bee populations and functioning. With fewer cars on the streets and more in their garages due to lockdown, this number can get a little breather.

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Lockdown impact on bees in India

A similar trait is seen in bees and the honey production as highlighted by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in an Indian Express report. According to Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman, KVIC the production of honey has drastically increased in times of COVID-19 lockdown as opposed to what they experienced in normal times.

Saxena said, ¡°Before the lockdown, we used to collect around 15-20 kg of honey from each bee box but it doubled to around 40 kg/box during the lockdown¡±.

This trend trickled down to every state that is known for producing honey, like Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and others. He also stated that there was a considerable bump in the quality of the honey too as the nectar sucked by the bees was without any pesticides or insecticides.

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Letting bees flourish

Clearly the levels of pollution need to go down as that one thing will help eliminate so many other messes on our planet. However, there are some other measures -- measures that you and me can adopt at our homes or in our vicinity to help bee population thrive.

One of them is maintaining road verges -- green bushes alongside the roads. Many trim them to make the road look neat and tidy, but with lockdown in place, several areas in the UK had the shrubs growing and these became natural habitats for the bees to enjoy in.

According to Brown, ¡°This unexpected profusion of flowers may well be another benefit for bees, with the unexpected food they provide boosting bee populations,

Let's hope this continues and bee population and honey production increases even after our lives go back to the new normal post COVID-19.