Why Do We Need Bees?

Bees are small, yet their impact on the world is enormous. They may weigh less than a paperclip and live only a matter of weeks, but they hold the power to shape ecosystems, economies, and even the food on our plates. Without them, fields would fall silent, harvests would collapse, and the dazzling diversity of life we so often take for granted would fade into memory. This book is a journey into the remarkable world of bees, exploring their hidden importance and why our future is so closely tied to theirs.

Across ten engaging chapters, Calven Hurstin reveals the essential roles bees play in sustaining life as we know it. You’ll discover how one out of every three bites of food depends on their pollination, and how it isn’t just honey bees that matter — thousands of other species, from bumblebees to solitary mason bees, work tirelessly to keep plants and ecosystems alive. Bees are not only providers of food; they are guardians of biodiversity, supporting wildflowers, forests, orchards, and entire food webs.

From an agricultural perspective, bees are a workforce worth billions of dollars, their unpaid labour enabling farmers to produce everything from apples and almonds to coffee and cocoa. Their efforts ensure that our diets remain rich in vitamins and minerals, rather than being reduced to bland starchy staples. At the same time, bees act as environmental sentinels, offering early warnings when ecosystems are under threat. Their struggles with pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change mirror the challenges faced by the planet itself, making their survival a matter of global urgency.

But the story of bees isn’t only about pollination. Their hives provide treasures that have enriched human culture for centuries. Honey, beeswax, pollen, and propolis have been used for food, medicine, and craft since ancient times, demonstrating the deep and enduring bond between people and bees. Even the engineering genius of the honeycomb — a structure of perfect hexagons, both strong and efficient — reveals a level of natural design that continues to inspire scientists and architects alike.

And yet, these vital creatures are in crisis. Around the world, bee populations are falling at alarming rates, threatened by pesticides, disease, and climate disruption. The disappearance of bees would not only mean the loss of honey but the unraveling of entire ecosystems and food systems. Protecting them is not a sentimental cause — it is an urgent necessity for human survival.

This book offers more than facts: it provides perspective. It shows how bees link our daily lives to the health of the planet, how they embody the intricate connections of the natural world, and how their hum is in truth the heartbeat of life itself. By the time you finish, you will see bees not as background noise to summer afternoons, but as indispensable allies whose survival secures our own.

Why Do We Need Bees? is both an accessible introduction for curious listeners and a passionate call to action for anyone concerned about the environment. Whether you are a gardener, a student, a parent, or simply someone who enjoys the taste of fruit, this book will change the way you look at every buzzing wing and blooming flower.

Inside you will learn:
– Why one in every three bites of food relies on bee pollination
– How different species of bees sustain biodiversity beyond the honey bee
– The staggering economic value of bees as an agricultural workforce
– How bees help ensure access to vitamin-rich, diverse diets
– Why their decline signals wider ecological collapse — and what can be done to help

Bees are small but mighty, fragile but powerful, ordinary yet extraordinary. To save them is to save ourselves.

Step into their world, understand their importance, and join the movement to protect the most vital pollinators on Earth.