Unpredictable weather patterns disrupt pollination cycles, affecting bees and plants

• Climate change and habitat loss are negatively impacting honeybee and other pollinator populations.
• Unpredictable weather patterns disrupt pollination cycles, affecting both bees and plants.
• Honeybees are crucial for the economy and food production, pollinating a majority of crops.

Symptoms of climate change are affecting the honeybee population as well as other pollinators, which are vital to the economy and way of life.

“We’ve seen a decline, not just in our honeybees,” said Jennifer Berry, adjunct professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia. “We’ve seen a huge decline across all of our bees, including our native bees, birds, and other pollinators. Everything out there is being heavily impacted.”

Lewis Bartlett, an assistant professor of honeybee health at the University of Georgia, said climate change is hurting pollinators.

“Climate change is a huge problem for all our bees, particularly for the wild bees,” he said. “As weather patterns become more unpredictable, it’s hard for bees to know when different plants are going to flower. That means they wake up too early before everything’s flowered, because it’s warmer in the spring than usual.”

Bartlett said those 85-degree days in February don’t do bees any good.

“So they can’t survive without flowers to pollinate,” Bartlett said. “Similarly, the plants wake up too soon. Without any bees there, the plants can’t create the next generation of seeds.”

Habitat loss is impacting bees

Berry said habitat loss is another threat affecting wildlife.

“Habitat loss is probably the leading cause that we’re seeing, especially with our native bees and our honeybees as well,” she said.

“What used to be a field full of wild flowers and trees and things is now a Walmart or a subdivision or an apartment complex. Every time you drive by and see a field that’s being cleared, we have just removed food for something.”

Honeybees are important to the economy and taste buds

“Honeybees are very important for our economy and pollination,” said Berry. “They pollinate a majority of our crops. When you go into the grocery store and you see all that produce, most of that is there because of the hard work of honeybees. So if you like to eat fruits and vegetables, then you want to keep your honeybees around.”

Meals would be much less appetizing were it not for honeybees, said Berry.

“If we didn’t have honeybees, we would have corn, barley, rice, and wheat,” she said. “We would be … eating  gruel.”

What can you do to save the bees?

Berry said native plants are essential to increasing the bee population.

“Everybody can do something,” said Berry. “For homeowners, the biggest bang for your buck is to plant a native tree. We need native trees because our native bees and our honeybees have evolved together. A white oak supports over 2,400 species of caterpillars and other insects that birds eat. It’s so important that we look at our native species and our native trees.”

Berry added, “Consider reducing your lawn,” she said. “Your grass doesn’t feed anything. It takes a lot of maintenance, fertilizing, pesticides, and herbicides. Instead, place beds of flowers and trees in your outdoor space.”

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Partners.

Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.