The extinction of insects can be largely attributed to human activities such as urbanization, pesticide usage, climate change, and pollution. In the past couple of years, there has been a decrease in honeybees. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report found that honeybee losses in managed colonies hit 42% this year. Bees play an important role in our ecosystems, according to IPBES, the western honey bee is the most widespread managed pollinator globally, and more than 80 million hives produce an estimated 1.6 million tonnes of honey annually. The disappearance of honeybees can lead to a massive decline in biodiversity and the decline of many ecosystems. 

A major cause of this disappearance is the use of pesticides. Pesticides are commonly used in urban and agricultural environments to kill invertebrate pests, diseases, and weeds. However, many pesticides - including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides - harm pollinators and other beneficial insects. Insecticides are used to get rid of unwanted insects, this can be done directly and indirectly on bees. If sprayed directly on a bee, it would die before reaching its hive. However, this issue comes when the bee comes in contact with an insecticide and transports it back to the colony, either as contaminated pollen or nectar or on its body. Many pesticides are extremely toxic to honey bees and other beneficial insects. Unfortunately, many farmers do not think of the consequences when spraying pesticides on their fields. 

As insects continue to disappear, it is important to make changes in our actions and mitigate our impact on the environment. Pesticides impact more than just bees, it can affect multiple species and organisms across an ecosystem. These pesticides can bioaccumulate throughout food chains. Therefore it is necessary to reduce our usage of pesticides and mitigate the run off of pesticides into different environments. Insects, often overlooked and undervalued, are the backbone of ecosystems, playing indispensable roles in pollination, decomposition, and food chains.

Works Cited

Fonseca, Carlos Roberto. “The silent mass extinction of insect herbivores in biodiversity hotspots.” National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19775277/.

Murray, Tomás. “The Silent Extinction of Insects.” National Biodiversity Data Centre, https://biodiversityireland.ie/the-silent-extinction-of-insects/.

Ward, Meghan. “Unveiling the Silent Crisis: The Decline of Earth’s Vital Insects.” The Land Between, https://www.thelandbetween.ca/2024/06/unveiling-the-silent-crisis-the-decline-of-earths-vital-insects/.