Bees vital in Oklahoma agriculture losing ground. What can be done?

Bees may be small, but they pack a punch in Oklahoma's agricultural economy.

Every season, pollination from native bees generates between $235 billion and $577 billion in annual global food production.

Andrine Shufran, OSU Extension specialist for entomology and plant pathology and director of OSU's Insect Adventure, an interactive insect petting zoo, said in the United States there are about 150 different crops that are exclusively pollinated by bees.

More than one-third of crop production in the United States relies on insect pollination, but research shows that honey bees are steadily losing colonies. Bees across the country are at risk of extinction — the number of honey bee hives in the nation has decreased from 6 million in the 1940s to about 2.5 million in the present day.

Because bees have such a great influence on the country's food supply, research is conducted at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but Shufran says bees also play an important role right here in Oklahoma.

'Our economy is built on pollination'

While some exports that sustain Oklahoma's agricultural economy rely on wind pollination, livestock in the state rely on bees to aid the production of their food.

Alfalfa, an important and nutritious foraging crop for feeding cattle and horses, is heavily dependent on bee pollination.

Shufran explained that if natural pollinators like bees are lost, crops that require them will need to be pollinated by hand. That will drive up the cost of common fruits and vegetables, ultimately negatively impacting the entire economy.

“We really can't live in a world without bees," Shufran said. "Our economy is built on pollination from native and non-native pollinators. … It's our food supply, and our food supply is very highly connected to our fluctuations in the economy."

More: Is honey good for you? Learn about the buzz here.

Home beekeeping is the new buzz

Outside of commercial agriculture, beekeeping recently has become a popular hobby for many Oklahomans.

While some cities regulate what animals homeowners can keep in their yards, bees are governed by the Apiary Act, which states that bees can not be prohibited within communities and city limits.

Pat Tickel, current secretary and former president of the Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association, said the popularity of beekeeping could come from the way it allows people to connect with nature in a hands-on way.

"People get very emotionally tied to their bees much like they do pets, and they get very protective of them; it's something that can bring out a lot of emotion in people," Tickel said.

Tickel today manages about 40 hives. When he first began 15 years ago, he had no prior knowledge of how to raise bees. He sought education from beekeeping clubs, joined one in Noble, and then later became a part of the state beekeeping association.

More: They wanted to fly buzziness class: Delta Air Lines flight delayed by swarm of bees

The Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association hosts various meetings and events where beekeepers can meet one another and share information and hear from speakers about cutting-edge apiary techniques and technology.

Tickel said he advises people interested in starting beekeeping for the first time to get educated by connecting with a local beekeeping club or seeking instructional information online. He says many associations host beginner beekeeping courses with instructors to teach interested individuals how to safely and properly keep hives.

Educating communities on insects

Both Shufran and Tickel said an important part of their job is education, especially showing young people the importance of pollinators in the world around them.

“Kids get it faster. Kids can put the parts together faster and understand,” Shufran said. “If kids are excited about bugs, in another 10 or 15 years when they have college degrees, they're still going to have that understanding that bugs are important.”

Tickel said there are a couple of clubs across the state that run junior beekeeper programs for children to get started in beekeeping. They offer beehives, a suit and all beekeeping equipment to the participants. The children work for a year with the bees and give reports on their progress at monthly meetings. If the participant completes all the requirements by the end of the year, they get to keep their hive and all the equipment.

The Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association also annually takes nominations to recognize a junior beekeeper who has demonstrated passion and determination in their work.

Tickel said it's important for children to be exposed to programs like these because it can teach them greater values of protecting and caring for the environment.

"If they understand that bees are part of our environment, that they're part of our culture," Tickel said. "If they make that connection to bees and understand what's happening to them, they can relate those problems to other insects and pollinators in nature that are important to the human race."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Bees, other pollinators vital in Oklahoma agriculture losing ground