South Africa is known for its rich insect diversity, which of course includes bees. According to the Agricultural Research Council, there are 2 755 recorded bee species in sub-Saharan Africa. Of these, approximately 1 000 are found in South Africa, and many of them are endemic to the Fynbos and Succulent Karoo areas.
However, only two subspecies of honeybee are indigenous to South Africa: the African bee (Apis mellifera scutellata) and the Cape bee (Apis mellifera capensis). The Cape bee’s habitat is the Fynbos region and the surrounding western and southern Cape areas. The African bee is confined to the region north of the Fynbos area.
Bees play an instrumental role in supporting biodiversity and various ecosystems, both locally and globally. Most importantly, these insects are the world’s primary crop pollinators and, according to the Western Cape Government, more than 50 different crops that are cultivated in South Africa, rely on honeybees. In short, bees are one of the main drivers of the agricultural sector and are largely responsible for the pollination of 40 to 70% of indigenous flowering plants.
According to Dr Annalie Melin, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation at the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Science, several threats to the environment have placed bee species across the world in a vulnerable position. The honeybee population’s rapid decline is not just a local phenomenon, but a global crisis.
Bees’ contribution to agriculture
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