Millions of bees killed daily on highways, new study reveals

Millions of bees are killed daily by cars on the highway, a recent study conducted by Utah State University (USU) revealed.

While deer or moose, both mammals that are frequently endangered by vehicles on the highway, are protected by wildlife preservationists, bees go completely unnoticed due to their small size.

The USU Department of Biology, headed by ecologist and researcher Joseph Wilson, made efforts to further understand the vast amount of bee deaths through vehicle collisions.

In the experiment, the research team attached sticky traps to car bumpers and used statistics from the Department of Transportation to further analyze their data. The results suggest that tens of millions of bees are killed on a daily basis as drivers speed down the highways of the western United States. Wilson, alongside several USU alumni, reported their initial discoveries in the November 7 issue of Sustainable Environment.

The study published that “At the high end, it could be as many as 4.9 billion bees [dying] in one 6-month bee flight season if average daily traffic values are used.” Trials conducted between 2019 and 2021 by USU Tooele researchers allowed for the gathering of this data.

Wilson said, “Bees play a pivotal role in our ecosystem. The consequences of their frequent collisions with vehicles extend well beyond a minor travel inconvenience. In fact, the impacts of bee deaths … may have a greater negative impact than we realized.”

More important than we realize

Roadside habitat quality directly impacts whether animals can stay along their side or decide to cross the road in search of better foraging places. Wilson suggests that public management, as well as private organizations, should create planting along roads and in medians.

“This may not be the best solution in all areas if those planting encourage insects to cross roads to access those resources,” says Professor Wilson. The question that poses is how to create a friendly shelter for bees without further endangering them.

Wilson believes that more research is required to understand better how roadway design can be less harmful to these pollinators. Still, he thinks that with awareness and united efforts, landscapes can be “restored” along the highways to support bee populations.

Professor Wilson stated, “Bees are keystone species that support plant diversity and reproduction. Understanding how we can support pollinators … is an important step towards protecting these important insects.”

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