Why did you start studying bees?
Samantha Alger, I had an opportunity to study tropical ecology and conservation abroad, and I realised that you can be a biologist and study insects for a living – which was ludicrous to me, who grew up in a household where you could be a doctor or a lawyer. I didn’t know that these things existed.
I knew I was interested in conservation, but I wanted to focus my efforts on something that was important not just for conservation in a treehugger sort of way, but also important for humans. I found out that you need bees for one of every three bites of food. They provide pollination services for most of the food that we eat, so the connection there was really strong. It’s good for wild bee conservation, but also, it’s important to humans.
What kind of threats are facing bees?
The media will say, ‘Oh, it’s this chemical. It’s neonicotinoids, or it’s this one disease’. Everyone wants to point their finger to a single smoking gun, but it’s a combination of threats, including habitat loss. With land-use change we see vast areas that are getting converted to corn or parking lots, for example, which offer nothing for bees. Areas that were once really good for foragers are changing, so they are losing habitat, foraging and nesting resources.
We also know that bees are affected by disease. Of course, there’s a tonne of different pests and pathogens that both managed and wild bees are affected by, but I think that the most concerning issue is the introduction and spread of novel or exotic pathogens to native hosts.
Also, pesticides and herbicides are another threat. If you’re using herbicides to kill the wildflowers or what we think of as weeds, that’s affecting their foraging areas. Pesticides that we put on our crops to keep herbivores from eating them can also affect bees.
This story is from the March/April 2020 edition of Very Interesting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March/April 2020 edition of Very Interesting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
HOW TO MASTER YOUR METABOLISM
Ready to welcome a leaner, healthier you? It's time for a metabolic makeover. With a few simple, research-backed changes, you can supercharge your body's calorie-burning
A BLUEPRINT FOR ANTI AGEING
Science says it's time to rethink - and take control - of our body's age. Here's how to slow, halt and potentially turn back your biological clock
THE BROKEN MIRROR
Body dysmorphia - the all-consuming obsession with perceived flaws in our looks - is sweeping the globe. One in five young people is thought to be affected. What can be done and how is tech changing the way we see ourselves?
SCROLL REVERSAL
Losing days by endlessly scrolling on your smartphone? You're not alone. Perhaps neuroscience can help us beat the urge
Going back to the moon
ARTEMIS AND A NEW DAWN OF LUNAR EXPLORATION
SAD CLOWN PARADOX: WHY TEARS OFTEN LIE BEHIND THE LAUGHS
Mental health issues are common among comedians and performing is just one way they can self-medicate
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION: HOW COOKING CAN DAMAGE YOUR DNA
From roast dinners to scented candles, there are potentially harmful pollutants lurking in every home
FARM OF THE FUTURE
Join the BBC's Planet Earth III film crew and go behind the scenes in the city farm that's transforming fields into towers and running almost everything with robots
COULD ONE BOMB DESTROY THE WORLD?
How big a bang are arms manufacturers capable of creating?
THE THREAT OF DAY ZERO
Queues at public water taps could become normal. What can we do to avoid them?