As a child, I had a fear of many things, some of which kept me up at night and others that had me running indoors. Many of these fears, though common among children, were quite silly now that I look back on them. I was afraid of dogs, the dark, snakes, Freddy Krueger and bees, to name a few. Yes, bees. To think that an insect that was one thirtieth my size could scare the bejeezus out of me... well, it did. Why do we need bees anyway? I would ask myself. I didn't like honey and that's all bees were good for, right?

One out of every three bites of food we eat is a result of pollinators like honey bees.

• Parasites - One of the biggest threats is the varroa mite that not only weaken the honey bees and shorten their life spans, they also spread viruses throughout the hives.
• Weather - Cold, long winters and harsh weather conditions can affect crops and reduce food supply for honey bees, making it difficult for them to survive.
• Disease - Like people, honey bee colonies can contract viruses, bacteria and fungal pathogens.
• Pesticides - Though new innovations in pesticide technology means they’ve become safer over the years, if used improperly pesticides could affect honey bee colonies.
• Lack of food sources - If there is not enough pollen and nectar collected during the summer months, honey bees won't have enough food to last the winter.