They’re known for their talent in pollinating plants and ultimately helping the earth’s crops grow, but a recent news story gives us all reason to have a new appreciation for these tiny creatures.
Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a way to use bee venom to destroy HIV cells. This “wonder drug” may be delivered via a vaginal gel that can destroy the virus before it has a chance to take over healthy cells and cause infection.
But this life-saving substance made from bees may not be so easy to come by. Over the last several decades, bees have virtually flown into oblivion as the world’s bee colony populations have declined to alarming numbers. Bee keepers have reported losing more than half of their colonies in a strange occurrence called colony collapse.
Colony collapse, as it was first termed in late 2006, is the drastic disappearance of worker bees in Western honey bee colonies in North America. This phenomenon is the result of many factors, including mites and insect diseases, environmental change, pesticides and even cell phone radiation. Researchers say that some chemicals used in pesticides fog honey bee brains, making it harder for them to navigate their way home.
So what’s the takeaway from the plight of the bee? Besides the fact that we should be concerned with all of nature, including the tiniest of organisms, think of it this way. Without the tiny bee, OUR food supplies will dwindle fast and our chances of ridding the world of the most devastating epidemic in decades will disappear.