Anthropogenic Threats to Honeybee Ecology: A Review

Abstract

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) play a crucial role in pollinating a wide range of crops, making them vital to global food security. However, honeybee populations have faced numerous challenges due to anthropogenic disturbances in their ecology. This comprehensive review article synthesises current knowledge on the diverse range of threats that honeybees encounter as a result of human activities. The review begins by examining the impact of habitat loss and fragmentation on honeybee foraging and nesting patterns. It highlights the consequences of urbanisation, agricultural expansion, and deforestation, emphasising how these factors have reduced suitable foraging grounds and nesting sites for honeybees. Pesticides and agrochemicals constitute another significant threat to honeybee health and survival. The review explores the effects of neonicotinoids, herbicides, and fungicides on honeybee populations, including sublethal effects on behaviour and colony dynamics. It also discusses the role of genetically modified crops in pesticide exposure. Furthermore, the article delves into the challenges posed by pathogens and diseases, such as Nosema, Varroa destructor mites, and viral infections, and how these factors interact with environmental stressors to weaken honeybee colonies. Climate change and its associated shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns are considered in the context of their impact on honeybee distribution, phenology, and the availability of floral resources. In short, this review underscores the multifaceted nature of anthropogenic threats to honeybees and their ecology. It emphasises the importance of integrated approaches involving habitat conservation, reduced pesticide use, disease management, and climate change mitigation to ensure the long-term survival and well-being of honeybee populations and the critical ecosystem services they provide.