Without bees, we would lose the majority of the foods we love to eat.
Over 1/3 of the world's crops require at least some pollination from beneficial insects including honey bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. While some fruits, such as pears or bananas, will grow, they will not fully develop without the help of bee pollination.
Here is a list of common bee pollinating crop plants that we would lose without the help from those busy bees (courtesy of HoneyLove.org):
- Apples
- Mangos
- Kiwi Fruit
- Plums
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Guava
- Rose Hips
- Pomegranites
- Pears
- Black and Red Currants
- Alfalfa
- Okra
- Strawberries
- Onions
- Cashews
- Cactus
- Prickly Pear
- Apricots
- Allspice
- Avocados
- Passion Fruit
- Lima Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Adzuki Beans
- Green Beans
- Orchid Plants
- Custard Apples
- Cherries
- Celery
- Coffee
- Walnut
- Cotton
- Lychee
- Flax
- Acerola – used in Vitamin C supplements
- Macadamia Nuts
- Sunflower Oil
- Goa beans
- Lemons
- Buckwheat
- Figs
- Fennel
- Limes
- Quince
- Carrots
- Persimmons
- Palm Oil
- Loquat
- Durian
- Cucumber
- Hazelnut
- Cantaloupe
- Tangelos
- Coriander
- Caraway
- Chestnut
- Watermelon
- Star Apples
- Coconut
- Tangerines
- Boysenberries
- Starfruit
- Brazil Nuts
- Beets
- Mustard Seed
- Rapeseed
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Brussels Sprouts
- Bok Choy (Chinese Cabbage)
- Turnips
- Congo Beans
- Sword beans
- Chili peppers, red peppers, bell peppers, green peppers
- Papaya
- Safflower
- Sesame
- Eggplant
- Raspberries
- Elderberries
- Blackberries
- Clover
- Tamarind
- Cocoa
- Black Eyed Peas
- Vanilla
- Cranberries
- Tomatoes
- Grapes
How many foods did you count on the list that you love to eat? This is why it's important to save the bees. While wildlife will usually not disturb bees, they will disturb bee hives and pollinating flowers that bees feed on for survival. To protect the bees, we must first protect these pollinating crops.