Holding a Magnifying Glass On The Life Of Insect Pollinators. What’s The Buzz?

-This article has been written by Dhrumi Gada

Laws for the protection of insects

Reflecting on the words of Gandhi “The earth has enough for every man’s need but not for every man’s greed”, I strongly believe that the course the environment takes in future is in our hands. We can allow it to either further deteriorate or we could by prudently managing it, improve its quality. Thus, why not
first start with improving the life of the puny insect in our environment which is never noticed by us?

At one time the environment was thought to be all about aesthetically pleasing scenes and surroundings; the law had little to do with it then. Then it became a question of the quality of our lives - the air we breathe, the water we drink; the law then moved in as the need was felt for controls and regulation. I dare to say that now the environment has become an issue of survival - cities have become gas chambers, rivers are carriers of untreated industrial sewage, the earth a dumping ground for hazardous waste. Unlike just stressing on the environment, this article stresses on those go unnoticed in the environment…. the INSECTS.

Every big improvement starts with a small step. In this article we zoom into the environment enveloping us, and scrutinize the small insects that help in pollination and discuss the threats faced by them and plan major revolutionary relief giving steps.

Spraying insecticides an ill practice

Insects play crucial roles both in the production of agricultural and horticultural crops, and in the maintenance of biodiversity in natural ecosystems. They are vulnerable to pests, diseases and environmental change - threats that have increased over the last couple of years. (Image taken from here)

Degradation of their habitats, invasion of alien species such as pathogens, invasive mites, lot of pollution, Invasion of insecticides, toxics, harmful chemicals are included due to the mal agricultural practices. Climate change, changes in flowering, aging and growing period have hampered the lives of insect pollinators.

Various government policies are limiting the instabilities and trying to bring about some revolutionary change. Large scale protection and management of habitat networks can be worked upon to create habitat conservation. Alternative agriculture methods can be practiced. Farmers and gardeners can rely on alternative non-toxic methods, such as environmentally friendly practice to control pests, insects and weeds, therefore reducing wildlife exposure to insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. Moreover, alternative pollinators can make up for the loss. Studies show that wild bees can be responsible for a considerable proportion of pollination. Consequently, conserving populations of wild bees may at least partly compensate for managed colony disorders. Creation of wildflower meadows, promoting the inclusion of crop rotations and restoring habitats like woodlands, hedgerows and grassland is advantageous for pollinators. Improving the health of honey bees by increasing their immunity to various diseases can help a lot to reverse their declines.

Global agriculture has become increasingly pollinator dependant over the last 50 years. It is clear at present that there is no single factor causing the problem. The causes of pollinator declines are likely to be complex and involve interactions between pollinators, the environment and the pests and diseases that affect these insects. With such a complex problem, multidisciplinary and systems-based approaches will play a key role along with technology, skills, disciplines and expertise coming up in modern times. Pollination is not just a free service but one that requires investment and stewardship to protect and sustain it. There should be a renewed focus on the study. Government policies will work their way out, but we as citizens staying in the environment and concerned for it, should adopt the above mentioned strategies to bring a visible and powerful change in the lives of the distressed insect pollinators and reverse their declines. Lets “bee” their helpers….

The above article is written by Dhrumi Gada.

Dhrumi Gada

Dhrumi is currently studying in her first year of  law at Government Law College. She aspires to be a sucessful solicitor some day . She is also pursuing C.S. Her hobbies include reading books, painting and going out on adventurous trips. She also hopes to become an author.