To many people, honey bees symbolize development, sustainability and environmentalism. But as a honey bee researcher, I have to tell you that only the first item on that list is reasonable. Although they are important for agriculture, honey bees also damage natural ecosystems by competing with native bees — some of which are species at risk.
The rise in hobby beekeeping as a hobby, now a popular activity for hundreds of thousands of Americans, followed strong awareness campaigns to “save the bees.” But as a species, honey bees are least in need of saving. Media attention unfairly covers them over native bees, and vague messaging has led many citizens — myself once included — to believe they are doing a good thing for the environment by putting on a beekeeper’s facemask. Unfortunately, they are probably doing more harm than good.
“Beekeeping is for people; it’s not a conservation practice,” says Sheila Colla, an assistant professor and conservation biologist at Toronto’s York University, Canada. “People mistakenly think keeping honey bees, or helping honey bees, is somehow helping the native bees, which are at risk of extinction.” She is frustrated at the improper attention on saving honey bees when, from a conservationist’s point of view, native bees are the ones in more need of support.
For some reason, maybe because they are small, honey bees are not generally viewed as the massively distributed livestock (牲畜) animal that they are. There are millions of honey bee colonies in North America, 2.8 million of which are in the U. S. Approximating around 30,000 bees per colony, that’s roughly a billion honey bees in Canada and the U.S. alone — almost three times the number of people. High densities of honey bee colonies increase competition between native bees, putting even more pressure on the wild species that are already in decline.
I used to believe that honey bees were a gateway species, and that concern over their health and development would spill over onto native bees, benefitting them, too. While this may have happened in some cases, evidence is increasing that misguided enthusiasm for honey bees has likely been to the native bees’ damage. Beekeeping doesn’t make me feel good, anymore. In fact, quite the opposite.
24. What contributes to the popularity of beekeeping in America?
A.It is easy to keep honey bees at home than native bees. |
B.Lots of TV shows advertise the benefits of honey bees. |
C.Beekeeping can improve the local agriculture productivity. |
D.Some activities have encouraged people to protect the bees. |
25. What is Colla’s opinion on beekeeping?
A.Beekeeping can help the owner earn a great sum of money. |
B.People hold wrong ideas about the benefits of beekeeping. |
C.Beekeeping can protect native bees from extinction. |
D.Beekeeping is good for the natural environment. |
26. Why does the author mention the number of honey bees in paragraph 4?
A.To clarify that honey bees are small in size. |
B.To show that native bees are in danger of extinction. |
C.To prove a misconception of honey bee populations. |
D.To confirm North America as the major honey bee habitat. |
27. What do the underlined words “a gateway species” probably mean?
A.A common species. | B.A beneficial species. |
C.A damaging species. | D.An endangered species. |