Beekeepers devastated as mysterious losses reach 'catastrophic' highs: 'We should be worried'

An unprecedented loss of honeybees over the winter has put staple crops at risk in the coming season. The uncertain cause of this mass die-off has left beekeepers and farmers bewildered and facing a shortage of 300,000 to 500,000 hives, per the San Francisco Chronicle. 

What's happening?

A survey of beekeepers across the United States by "Project Apis m." found that a "catastrophic" 1.1 million colonies were lost between last June and last month. 

Zac Browning, a commercial beekeeper, described the scale of the losses as "completely unsustainable" and said if the losses continue, "we simply won't be able to sustain current food production." On average, commercial beekeepers lost 62% of their bees, far past the industry's "breaking point" of 50%, per the Chronicle.

Blake Shook, owner of Desert Creek Honey in Texas, told the Chronicle: "Once we get to 70% to 80%, you can't recoup your numbers anymore. It's a scary place, and we should be worried about national food security."

Why are declining bee populations concerning?

Honeybees play a critical role in food production as pollinators for 130 crops in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they pollinate $15 billion worth of crops each year. 

According to the Chronicle, one of the most vulnerable crops to depleted stocks of bees is almonds — one of California's most profitable crops. The Golden State produces 82% of the world's almond supply, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. 

Honeybees face several threats, which experts typically classify as the "four P's": pesticides, parasites, pathogens, and poor nutrition, per the Chronicle. 

Commercial pesticides can be highly toxic to bees and are linked to a host of other health and ecological problems. Parasites like the small hive beetle can also inflict immense damage to a hive, while pathogens like the American foulbrood can wipe out entire colonies. Finally, poor hive nutrition makes all of the aforementioned afflictions all the worse. 

What's being done about falling bee populations?

The dangers of pesticides to bees can be mitigated in multiple ways. 

The University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences offers a few suggestions. One is timing; bees forage during the day, so applying pesticides in the evening will mitigate losses. 

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Another is using less toxic, rapidly degrading pesticides. There's also the placement of the apiaries to consider; the university recommends they should be at least 4 miles from crops being treated with pesticides. 

At the individual level, opting for natural, chemical-free pest control and choosing native plants for your yard are two ways to help sustain bee populations. Gaining a stronger understanding of the critical environmental issues is another way to ensure your everyday activities aren't unintentionally contributing to the loss of crucial creatures like bees.

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