I’m certain they provide many ecological advantages.
The most considered would be that of pollination. There are many plants that do not self-pollinate. They create seeds that must be carried to a different area if the species of plant wants to move, or propagate, or cross pollinate with different plants.
That’s where the bees come in. When they land on the plant in order to collect nectar, they inadvertently become carriers for pollen.
Not to mention honey is pretty great.
Bees pollinate flowers. It is how flowering plants exchange genetic material, it is necessary before the plant can produce fruit, seeds, or offspring. If you plant a garden full of tomatoes, peppers, squash, apples, peaches and berries, but nothing pollinates it, you get zero harvest.
Originally, North and South America had no honeybees, and indigenous people were still able to grow all of the crops above, because there are many types of insects that pollinate flowers. But bees are unique in that many thousands of them nest in one hive. Large scale farms don’t offer much space for other insects to lay eggs and mature through the early stages of life. Large scale farmers actually hire travelling bee keepers who bring truckloads of bees to pollinate a specific crop. Those bees might pollinate oranges in Florida in March, then apples in Oregon in April, and travel all over the country. This won’t work with any other insect.
I’m certain they provide many ecological advantages.
The most considered would be that of pollination. There are many plants that do not self-pollinate. They create seeds that must be carried to a different area if the species of plant wants to move, or propagate, or cross pollinate with different plants.
That’s where the bees come in. When they land on the plant in order to collect nectar, they inadvertently become carriers for pollen.
Not to mention honey is pretty great.
Bees pollinate flowers. It is how flowering plants exchange genetic material, it is necessary before the plant can produce fruit, seeds, or offspring. If you plant a garden full of tomatoes, peppers, squash, apples, peaches and berries, but nothing pollinates it, you get zero harvest.
Originally, North and South America had no honeybees, and indigenous people were still able to grow all of the crops above, because there are many types of insects that pollinate flowers. But bees are unique in that many thousands of them nest in one hive. Large scale farms don’t offer much space for other insects to lay eggs and mature through the early stages of life. Large scale farmers actually hire travelling bee keepers who bring truckloads of bees to pollinate a specific crop. Those bees might pollinate oranges in Florida in March, then apples in Oregon in April, and travel all over the country. This won’t work with any other insect.
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