Honey Bees and Light Pollution: Why check and balance is required?

Insects are the most diverse organisms on the planet and India is a mega-diverse country with a huge variety of insect biota. Not many studies have investigated the complext life of insects and specially honey bees. Honey bee species are believed to be the most important creature of nature to maintain the ecosystem healthy and act as natural pollinators for the entire flower-bearing plants. Natural light has been the source where animals got the power to see the whole world. The natural sources of light are sun and moon but today the world is illuminated by artificial sources of light as well. Such sources are harmful not only to large animal species but are also the main reason behind extinction of many other larger species. It is opined that the honey bees are also badly affected by artificial light sources (i.e. street light, led bulbs, halogens bulbs, high beam led lights etc.). Light acts as a kind of stimulant to the bees. Artificial light, at night alters activities and behavior of Insects, whether diurnal or nocturnal.  However, their activities affected by light pollution may inadvertently disrupt the natural order. More studies are needed to investigate the consequences of light pollution, specifically on insect diversity in India.

Honey bees, particularly the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), play a crucial role in global agriculture, providing essential pollination services and valuable hive products . The economic importance of honey bees is evident from their contribution to crop pollination, which was valued at $14.6 billion in the United States alone in 2000 . Furthermore, the protection of wild bee populations can help mitigate the impact of honey bee shortages on the human food supply, emphasizing the interconnectedness of different bee species in sustaining ecosystem services . In India beekeeping is practiced in mountains, foot hills, forest, agricultural lands, mangrove forests etc. (Thomas et al., 2002) Honey-producing bee populations in the Western Ghats have been studied to evaluate their pollen diversity and its relationship with the local flora . The preservation of native breeds and populations of honey bees is recognized as a key objective in beekeeping, especially in the face of global declines in bee diversity and numbers . The diverse range of novel RNA viruses found in geographically distinct honey bee populations underscores the need for global-scale studies to improve disease management and safeguard honey bee health. Threat to the bees population are not limited to predation by other animals but with advancement of technology a number of factors have been added into this list and are mostly man made. Usage of chemicals like insecticieds, fragrances, insect repellents and physical methods like nets, traps, flycathers, enclosed water sources have been evidently harmful for nearby hives. Usage of artificial lights during night are possibly the biggest reason of fall in the bees population, specially in urban areas. It is evident that honeybees use elongated landscape features, such as paths, hedgerows, and field boundaries, to navigate and find their way back to the hive when released in unfamiliar locations . Needless to say that both natural and artificial light play direct role during navigation.The increased exposure to artificial light at night alters the behavior and activities of honey bees. Light pollution, caused by artificial sources of light such as street lights and LED bulbs, has been found to have a negative impact on honey bees by disrupting their natural patterns of behavior and activities (Gaston et al., 2013).  Controlling light pollution can help honey bees survive and, in turn, benefit the ecosystem in several ways. This article will further analyze the effects of artificial light at night on honey bee behavior, the potential implications for ecosystem health, and the need for further research on insect diversity in India.

Snippet Day 5

#Honeybees #Biodiversity #Ecology #Conservation #Nature #Museums #Lightpollution #Research

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