Buzzy brilliance! Miracle bees make it out alive after being buried in volcano ash for 50 days

By The Post Animal Correspondent 

As anyone who has watched the classic hit film Bee Movie knows, the humble bee keeps our planet going.

The humble bee pollinates 80 percent of the crops that we eat, including apples, onions, avocados, asparagus, broccoli, blueberries, tomatoes, and coffee. 

Now we have learnt just how miraculous bees really are.

Thousands of the wonderful species have made it out alive after been buried in volcanic ash for 50 days.

Rescuers in La Palma in the Canary Islands recovered five out of six beehives that had been buried.

The honey bees sealed themselves in their hives, creating cocoon-like environment.

Elías González, president of the Agrupación de Defensa Sanitaria (ADS) Beekeepers of La Palma, believes they survived so long because the type of ash that falls closest to a volcano allows air to pass through. 

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The sixth hive was thought not to have survived because they had already been in a weaker state prior to the eruption.

In laboratory studies, the University of Hawaii has found that volcanic ash “interferes with the waxy components of the honey bees’ exoskeleton, leading to dehydration. 

Our tiny furry friends, the bees, have been in significant decline in recent years due to a number of reasons, including climate change, habitat loss, monoculture (where only a single crop is grown, losing biodiversity), pesticides and herbicides, and disease.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, One honey bee can pollinate thousands of flowers in a day, and an entire colony of bees can pollinate millions in a day. We get to live in a beautiful colourful world because of these incredible creatures.

The Post guide to help bees

1 Provide bees with natural habitat to feed on by planting flowers in your garden. Aim for a range of species that bloom over different seasons. There are packets of bee-friendly flower seeds available.

2 If you have a garden consider buying or building a bee house (any space that can home bees) to give bees support with habitat and help populations recover and grow. You can search online for how to create a simple bee home or purchase a ready-made one.

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