Europe's Wild Honeybees Now Endangered Bees are said to contribute at least $25 billion to the European agriculture industry every year. But many of these insects are under threat. The wild western honeybee is now considered to be endangered in the European Union (EU). This only applies to wild honeybees — the domestic honeybee is not endangered. But the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added the wild western honeybee to its "red list" of threatened species earlier this year. A species gets that status when it has a very high risk of extinction. And the wild honeybee is not alone. There are more than 170 species of bee that are at a high risk of extinction in Europe, according to the IUCN. Experts say that protecting wild honeybees is about more than just saving species. Zoologist Arrigo Moro, from a group called Honey Bee Watch, said: "It's about safeguarding our food security, biodiversity and ecosystems for the future." In other words, this is bigger than bees. If we lose bees and other pollinators like butterflies, which are also under threat, we also risk losing the flowers and plants — including food plants — that they pollinate. There are a number of reasons why the wild bee population is decreasing, but climate change is among them. A warming planet has made events like droughts and wildfires more common, and these threaten the bees' existence. Farming practices contribute to their endangered status too, say experts. But there may be a silver lining to this new status, said the Native Irish Honey Bee Society. It believes that the status should act as a warning to governments that more must be done to protect these species. Jessika Roswall, who works for the EU, said that "urgent and collective action" is needed to tackle the threat to pollinators. And there are changes that many of us can make to help the bees. For example, planting flowers and letting gardens go a little bit wild can make a difference.