'Catastrophic' Loss of Bees Nationwide Is Worrying Experts

Yahoo

05-05-2025

The "catastrophic" and escalating loss of honey bee colonies across the United States is concerning experts.
A nationwide survey of beekeepers "has revealed catastrophic honey bee colony losses across the United States, with commercial operations reporting an average loss of 62% between June 2024 and February 2025," according to The Honey Bee Health Coalition.
"These alarming losses, which surpass historical trends, could significantly impact U.S. agriculture, particularly crop pollination for almonds, fruits, vegetables, and other essential food sources," The Coalition wrote in the 2025 news release.
'Early reports of severe colony losses began pouring in last month from beekeepers across the country,' said Danielle Downey, executive director of Project Apis m, in February 2025. 'In response, a multi-organizational working group—including Project Apis m., the American Beekeeping Federation, and the American Honey Producers Association—quickly mobilized to launch this survey. The goal was to assess the scope and severity of the losses, gather critical management data, and help guide research efforts to determine potential causes.'
According to the Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium, a "honey bee colony typically consists of three kinds of adult bees: workers, drones, and a queen. Several thousand worker bees cooperate in nest building, food collection, and brood rearing. Each member has a definite task to perform, related to its adult age. But surviving and reproducing take the combined efforts of the entire colony."
Beekeepers are speaking out to local news outlets.
'The concern for beekeepers is that this is turning out to be one of the worst losses nationally that we've seen, historically,' said Dan Conlon, who runs an Apiary in South Deerfield, MA, with his wife, to The Greenfield Recorder.
'What's different about it is that a lot of the people who generally have done pretty well during those periods are doing badly as well," he said in the May 2, 2025, article.
The losses are great, the study says.
'Initial survey results of colony losses suggest that commercial beekeepers may have lost in excess of 60% of their bees. The scale of these losses is completely unsustainable,' said Zac Browning, a fourth-generation commercial beekeeper and board chairman of Project Apis m, in the release. 'Honey bees are the backbone of our food system, pollinating the crops that feed our nation. If we continue to see losses at this rate, we simply won't be able to sustain current food production. The industry must look inward and outward for solutions to chronic bee health failure.'
According to the site, "The survey gathered data from 702 beekeepers, covering colony losses, management practices, and potential contributing factors. It is estimated that survey participants account for over 1.835 million colonies, approximately 68% of the nation's bees."