Everyone has been talking about bee mortality for years. If this trend intensifies, the consequences for nature and humans could be devastating, as the extinction of pollinating insects could lead to a massive decline in harvests. However, new studies in the USA have shown that the hemp plant can make a significant contribution to preserving biodiversity in the insect kingdom, especially among bees.
In this article you will learn
- Which reasons are responsible for bee mortality
- How hemp can counteract bee mortality
- Whether bees get high from hemp
- Useful tips on how you can help protect bees yourself
Climate change, monocultures & co
The reasons for bee mortality are, for example, the large-scale agricultural monocultures of insect-pollinated plants. Monocultures are a system in which only one crop is grown on an agricultural area. As a result, bees lack a diverse range of flowers and food. In addition, intensive farming creates temporal gaps in the availability of resources, so that the bees are exposed to real nutrient stress. Habitat fragmentation, mostly caused by humans, is also leading to a loss of biodiversity and nesting habitats, as biodiversity functions as a network rather than in isolated areas. Added to this is the increased use of chemicals, which is commonplace in monocultures in particular and causes additional damage to the animals. Climate change is also playing its part, as the rhythm of insects is disrupted and stressed by mild winters and long dry spells in summer.
Hemp as a food source for bees
Hemp is an exclusively wind-pollinated crop, which is why, unlike many other plants, it does not produce nectar that attracts bees. However, hemp does produce a large amount of pollen, which is extremely attractive to some bee species. The hemp plant only flowers in late summer, when all agricultural crops have long since faded. Hemp pollen therefore serves as a vital food resource for bees at a time of the season when other food sources are limited. In total, hemp supports 16 different bee species, including the western honeybee (apis mellifera) and the eastern bumblebee (bombus impatiens). The bees mainly visit male hemp plants, as these are larger than the female plants and produce more pollen.
Until now, beekeepers have supplemented their bees' diet with corn syrup or sugar syrup during flower shortages. The increased cultivation of industrial hemp is a good alternative to provide bees with valuable amino acids and a healthy mixture of minerals and vitamins. It is also believed that bees can convert some of the resin from the hemp plant into propolis. This is a kind of filler with which the bees can clean and repair their hive.
Can the bees get high?
In the hemp varieties permitted in Germany, a proportion of 0.2% of the psychoactive THC may not be exceeded. As this percentage is very low and bees do not have an endocannabinoid system, they lack cannabinoid receptors. As a result, they definitely cannot get high on hemp and the honey they produce is also free of psychoactive substances.
How can you help?
To prevent bee mortality, everyone can make a contribution to preserving diversity and species cultures, for example by following these tips:
- Buy honey from your region
- Provide nesting opportunities for bees and other insects
- Reach for bee-friendly foods (seasonal, organic and regionally grown)
- Sow bee-friendly plants - e.g. a fruit tree or a flowering meadow
- Become a bee sponsor and support the creation of habitats for bees
For our products, especially the bars, we use regional honey as a binding agent and sugar substitute. sugar substitute. In this way, we support local beekeepers and make our own contribution to protecting bees.
Curious? Then take a look at our online store.
How about the tasting pack for our four bar varieties?
Or would you prefer one of our protein powders?
Incidentally, we have also recently started selling hulled hemp seeds.
Enjoy the taste!
Your HANS team
Source: Oxford Academic