Athena Rayne Anderson

This content is based on a post originally published on August 16, 2011, on my blog “Pollinators Info” (no longer online).

Someone asked me this question recently, so I thought I’d do a post about it. With all the publicity about honey bee declines, people are wondering what would happen if all the bees were gone. Not just honey bees, but ALL the bees, all over the world…

A few things wouldn’t change. The bulk of our diet comes from grains like wheat, rye, barley, and rice. These plants are wind-pollinated and wouldn’t be affected much if bees disappeared. Many leafy veggies, like spinach and kale, are also wind-pollinated.

But, you’d have to say “bye-bye” to most fruits. Imagine a world in which you wouldn’t find many:

• Oranges and other citrus
• Pineapples
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Tomatoes
• Pumpkins
• Squashes
• Coffee

This is not an exhaustive list. Now, don’t get confused here- ALL pollinators are important, and they all deserve our care and attention. But bees are the most effective and abundant pollinator group all over the world. Of course, there are fruits and veggies that are pollinated by animals other than bees- like chocolate (flies) and coconuts (bats). But the food system of the U.S. and many other countries would change tremendously if there were no bees.

I haven’t talked about meat yet but, believe it or not, the beef and dairy system in the U.S. would also face some huge changes without bees! Alfalfa is the biggest source of cattle feed right now and it’s pollinated by the alfalfa leaf-cutter bee. No bees… no beef? Maybe not that dramatic, but there would certainly be some big changes in the availability of beef and dairy products.

What would YOU miss if there were no bees? Tell us by leaving a comment below.

Featured image copyright Maxima, December 24, 2023, from GoodFon.com.

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