Learn about the work of several universities in Bogotá to prevent the extinction of bees in the country

Far from the busy life of Bogotá and its eight million inhabitants, are the apiaries created in this very city for bees who have sought to survive the extinction of their species, since the pesticides used in some areas of the Colombian countryside have weakened the pollination work that is so important for the biodiversity.

That is why in the Colombian capital several academic sectors have been determined to save bees through hives that, despite restrictions on their installation given the population density and the risk that people who are bitten by these insects may have, are kept under strict protection measures; and that is that according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about 40 per cent of all bees and butterflies are in danger of extinction.

Intensive agriculture, livestock, climate change and agrochemicals have slowly wiped out much of the world's 20,000 species of bees. In addition, there are reports of beekeepers who lost hundreds of hives to poisoning with the pesticide filpronil, according to AFP.

The shielding of these species is a task that, under this perspective, becomes heroic and the academy plays its role in preserving them. For this reason, the Universidad del Rosario has an apiary built on a guadua structure that surrounds it various species of plants. Professor André Riveros is one of the scientists who has contributed most to the conservation of insects by creating a drink that reduces the impact of pesticides.

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It is worth noting that these chemicals cause bees to lose memory, as well as motor coordination, so that through drinking the lives of thousands of species are taken care of, and although this makes them more resistant to poisoning, Riveros clarifies that this cannot be a reason for the indiscriminate use of pesticides.

“Our intention is to protect bees,” he warns.

Another sanctuary located in Bogotá is inside the EAN University, these two being the most important hives in the capital; even, expert Gino Cala, one of those responsible for the transfer of bees to both academic spaces, indicates that having other hives outside these two is “irresponsible”, but it is a reality that is not can hide.

In this area of the country there are hundreds of clandestine hives, from which honey and wax are extracted for commercialization, which is not a problem. The risk that does exist is when a beekeeper is not in charge of handling these animals, generating as the main consequence the spread of dozens of them. This means that, on average, the local fire brigade handles about eight cases of bee handling a day.

In this sense, Riveros says that the mission of universities is to “educate”, which might sound like a euphemism, but that it has as its background the task of showing the importance of creating such spaces that are managed by beekeepers and whose purpose is to take care of the lives of bees, beyond the economic benefit they can represent.

75% of crops in the world depend on bees, another reason why sectors such as academia can 'bypass' the law in Bogotá that prohibits the possession of these species.

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