The first 21 days of the bee’s life

Albert Einstein said: “If the bee disappears from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years left to live.” The world’s bees are disappearing at an alarming rate, and scientists have not been able to discover the reasons for this disturbing occurrence. We need to take right actions and protect bees; otherwise Einstein’s prediction might become real. Healthy bees are necessary, not only as honey producers and as pollinators for sustainable food production, but also for the important role they play in many ecosystems around the world. Although more people are engaged in backyard beekeeping, bee populations continue to decrease around the world. One possible explanation  is associated with varroa, a parasitic mite that destroys colony.

Today, I want to share an incredible video taken by Anand Varma. This project, for National Geographic, gives a lyrical glimpse into a beehive, and reveals one of the biggest threats to its health, a mite that preys on baby bees in their first 21 days of life.