The quiet workers

Bees are among the most important workers on our planet, yet most people notice them only when they fear being stung. Nearly three-quarters of the crops that feed humanity depend at least partly on pollinators, and bees do the largest share of that work. As a bee moves from flower to flower collecting nectar, pollen sticks to the fine hairs on its body and is carried to the next bloom, allowing the plant to form fruit and seeds. In recent decades, bee populations in many countries have declined sharply. Scientists point to several causes acting together: the loss of wild flowers as fields are cleared, the heavy use of certain pesticides, parasites such as the varroa mite, and changing weather patterns. No single factor explains the decline, which is why simple solutions rarely work. Ordinary people can help. Planting native flowering plants, leaving a corner of the garden untidy, and avoiding chemical sprays all give bees food and shelter. Farmers who grow hedges and strips of wild flowers along their fields often find that their crop yields actually improve. Protecting bees, it turns out, is not charity; it is common sense.