Insects do by far the most pollination, especially in temperate lands. They visit countless flowers every day while feeding on nectar and pollen.c “Probably the most important contribution made by insects to human health and well-being,” explains Professor May Berenbaum, “is one for which they get little credit: pollination.”

The honeybee is the world’s most important pollinator. It usually concentrates on only one type of flower abundant near its hive. Entomologist Christopher O’Toole calculates that “as much as 30 per cent of all human food is directly or indirectly dependent on pollination by bees.” Bees are needed to pollinate such crops as almonds, apples, plums, cherries, and kiwis. Farmers pay the beekeepers for the services each hive provides.