Colombian police transform confiscated timber into homes for imperiled bees

Columbian police are guarding warehouses filled with confiscated timber, not as evidence of illegal logging, but as the raw material for a noble cause – constructing homes for bees facing existential threats from pesticides and climate change.

Since 2021, the Santander department has pioneered the “Timber Returns Home” project, repurposing illegally harvested wood to build 1,000 bee hives, with plans for an additional 10,000 in the next phase, according to the Santander environmental authority.

This innovative approach contrasts with the previous fate of confiscated timber, which was often turned into sawdust, donated for municipal projects, or left to decay.

Biologist German Perilla, director of the Honey Bee Impact Foundation, emphasized the project’s role in addressing the “extremely serious problem” of potential bee extinction.

Maria Acevedo, a beekeeper benefiting from the initiative, highlighted the urgency, stating that she lost over half of her hives in 2023, attributing the decline to pesticides used in nearby crop production, such as coffee.

The significance of preserving bees cannot be overstated, as approximately three-quarters of crops producing fruits or seeds for human consumption rely on pollination.

The UN has warned of a looming crisis, with 40 percent of invertebrate pollinators, especially bees and butterflies, at risk of global extinction.

“The main threat is that we will run out of trees and there will be no flowers, because without flowers there are no bees, without bees there are no humans, and we will run out of food,” warned Maria Acevedo.

Official data reveals that in Colombia, 3,000 hives, each capable of housing around 50,000 bees, succumb annually. Laboratory tests detected traces of the insecticide fipronil, leading to Colombia’s decision to ban it starting February 2024.

Fipronil is already banned in Europe and restricted in the United States and China.

Climate change compounds the challenges, with higher temperatures, droughts, floods, and extreme events reducing nectar-bearing flowers essential for bee survival.

The Santander environmental authority seizes approximately 1,000 cubic meters of illegally felled timber each year in anti-trafficking operations.

Colombia, home to the world’s largest rainforest in the Amazon, lost 123,517 hectares (305,200 acres) of trees in 2022.

Alarming statistics from the environment ministry indicate that nearly half of all timber traded in the country originates from illegal sources.

The “Timber Returns Home” initiative stands as a beacon of hope, demonstrating how confiscated resources can be transformed into a lifeline for essential pollinators, fostering a sustainable future for both bees and humans.