Tens of millions of bees die daily from vehicle strikes in the western US
- A study conducted in Utah reveals that millions of bees die each day from vehicle strikes.
- Researchers found that roads create opportunities for flowering plants but also increase bee fatalities.
- Scientists suggest that planting habitats along roads could reduce bee deaths and mitigate the issue.
In a recent study conducted in the western United States, researchers found that millions of bees die from vehicle strikes each day. This study, published on November 7, 2024, in the journal Sustainable Environment, highlights the impact of automobiles on bee populations, which are crucial for pollinating both wild plants and a third of the world's crops. The research team, led by evolutionary ecologist Joseph Wilson of Utah State University, undertook a series of 29 trips across various types of roads in Utah, including highways and slower paved roads, during the active periods of bee activity in the spring and summer. They examined bee mortality by attaching sticky traps to the bumpers of cars, which allowed them to document the number of bees struck and collected specimens to identify their genera. Each trip resulted in at least one bee fatality, with estimates suggesting that a single vehicle could kill between 50 to 175 bees on a trip from Salt Lake City to Moab. Scaling this data with traffic statistics from the Utah Department of Transportation, researchers infer that approximately 94,000 cars travel this route daily, resulting in millions of bee deaths that could extend to tens of millions across the entire region. The phenomenon is tied to the concept of the 'insect apocalypse,' which refers to the alarming decline in insect populations worldwide. While past research has often overlooked smaller insects, such as bees, this study shines a light on how their unique habitats and behaviors put them at risk when traversing roadways that are simultaneously home to flowering plants. While certain habitats might offer benefits for flower growth along roadsides, the presence of vehicles significantly threatens the lives of these essential pollinators. To mitigate bee deaths on roads, the research team proposed strategies such as planting vegetation along the sides of roads rather than in the medians, as this could provide bees with natural habitats while steering them away from crossing the roads. Although the researchers warn that their estimates could still be an underrepresentation of the actual toll, they emphasize the urgency of addressing the issue to prevent further decline in bee populations, which are vital for biodiversity and agriculture.