Organizations across the globe on Sunday marked the first-ever World Bee Day launched by the UN to raise awareness about the fate of pollinators.

Over the past decade, bees and other pollinators have witnessed a steady decline, with experts blaming several factors, including insecticides, climate change and disease.

Why a day for bees?

The UN Food and Agricultural Organization believe bees and other pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds, "are increasingly under threat from human activities."

International authorities are hoping to draw attention to the steady decline of bee populations. For examples, around 24 percent of Europe's bumble bees are threatened with extinction according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Bees contribute to the pollination of around 90 percent of the world's major crops. Without them, the world risks food insecurity, according to the UN.

Bees are an important part of ending world hunger, according to the UN

What's happening to the bees?

Authorities believe Colony Collapse Disorder is behind the sudden decline of bee populations.

The phenomenon occurs "when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen, plenty of food and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen," according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Scientists believe Colony Collapse Disorder is the result of several factors, including pesticides, loss of habitat due to urbanization, climate change, invasive alien species and pathogens.

What is Germany doing about it?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday called on people to "think about biodiversity and do something good for bees" during her annual budget speech to parliament. She said that it is "something that perhaps seems a bit small to some people, but is actually really big."

In Germany, there are several initiatives at the local, regional and federal level aimed at preserving pollinator populations.

For example, in Berlin, hives have been established in more than 15 prominent buildings across the capital, including the state legislature and the finance ministry. The initiative, started by German biologist Corinna Hölzer, has expanded to 25 other cities.

Beneficial bugs - life wouldn't be the same without them Can't live without them They eat aphids and mosquitoes. They pollinate fruit trees and vegetables. They even dispose of trash. If you could only let yourself get close enough, you might discover how beneficial insects can be.

Beneficial bugs - life wouldn't be the same without them Busy little helpers The best known example of a beneficial bug is the bee. Not only do they produce honey, but without their ability to pollinate, trees and plants would be virtually fruitless. But bees are an endangered species - worldwide. In some parts of China they are already extinct. Pesticides and mites are to blame.

Beneficial bugs - life wouldn't be the same without them Loveable greedy guts Ladybugs tend to mainly eat aphids and scale insects. Perhaps that's why we love them so much. One ladybug eats about 50 such insects a day - and many thousands over its entire lifetime.

Beneficial bugs - life wouldn't be the same without them The benefits of ladybug larva Its eating habits mean the ladybug is also highly-prized in pest control. They are popular with farmers, who use ladybugs to control aphids and scale insects without the need for chemicals. Even its larva helps in the fight against pests.

Beneficial bugs - life wouldn't be the same without them Parasite on parade Scorpion wasps are absolutely harmless for humans. But for some insects, a meeting with a scorpion wasp can end horrifically. The wasp is known to insert - or drill - its large ovipositor (an organ used for laying eggs) into moths, beetles and lice, where it lays an egg. The egg becomes a larva and the hungry larva then eats the insect from the inside out.

Beneficial bugs - life wouldn't be the same without them Remarkable predator Ground beetles are predators. They tend to hunt all the things we don't want: woodlice, caterpillars and slugs. Even the nimble and resistant potato beetle stands little chance against the ground beetle's strong jaws. They are found all over the world - but many are a protected species.

Beneficial bugs - life wouldn't be the same without them Dark crawler This is a beetle - even if it looks like a worm at first. The rover beetle has very short wing cases (elytra), which hold intricately folded wings. Worldwide, 50,000 variations of the rover beetle are known to exist. They like to eat bark beetles and fly maggots, but will also tuck into dead animals and the remains of plants.

Beneficial bugs - life wouldn't be the same without them Friendly giant Hornets command respect - but their poison is less dangerous than a common wasp. The grown-ups prefer to sup the juices of plants, while the young feed on all kinds of fresh meat: they can catch up to 500 grams of insects per day.

Beneficial bugs - life wouldn't be the same without them The best till last… … spiders. Given their eight legs, spiders aren't strictly speaking insects … but they are still very useful. They catch and eat every kind of insect that's annoying to us. Mosquitoes, moths, flies, and aphids are all a delicacy for spiders.

Beneficial bugs - life wouldn't be the same without them So let them live Don't be scared, don't step on them, or reach for your nearest rolled-up newspaper. Just be happy they're there! Author: Judith Hartl / za



ls/jm (dpa, AFP, AP)