Keeping Beekeepers Buzzing: Addressing Industry Concerns
The start of the 2025 almond pollination season was met with unprecedented colony losses which have shaken the beekeeping industry. In response, Project Apis m. conducted a widespread survey to assess the breadth and severity of colony die offs within the United States. The survey collected data from 702 respondents, accounting for approximately 1.835 million colonies, and is roughly 68% of the nation’s bees.
From the survey, commercial beekeepers reports indicate an average loss of 62% of their colonies. These alarming numbers could significantly impact crop pollination of essential foods and harm the profitability of the nation’s agriculture industry.
Though beekeepers are accustomed to losing some portion of their bees each year, this season’s losses could prove lethal for many businesses. Many of the struggles and sentiments beekeepers are facing is summed up in the following quote which was compiled from interviews with multiple individuals when asked how these losses are affecting them.
“What do back-to-back losses mean? We already bought back in. We borrowed from our house, from our retirement, from family. We borrowed to keep the business going. Now those bees are gone. This is what it means to have back to back losses on a farm. We took a large loss two years ago. We borrowed against our long-term investments to buy back into bees. We ran our bees again. We focused on their health. We asked for help. We did what we were supposed to do. But when the losses hit again, there is no way to recover. It’s all gone. The equity on the house is gone, our retirement is gone, the family member’s money is gone. All that’s left are empty boxes. We don’t even have the dead bees. They are gone too.”
Based on survey responses, respondents directly lost an estimated $224.8 million in colonies alone. This is based on $200 per colony, a conservative replacement cost that does not include the value of labor, feed, and treatments to maintain them. Factoring in beekeepers who did not respond to the survey, it is estimated an additional $206.4 million was lost, making a total of $634.7 million in lost colonies. Lost income from almond pollination is estimated to exceed $428 million as valued at 2023 hive rental fees which averaged at $181 per colony. Additional lost income from other crop pollination fees and lost honey production have not been added to this estimate.
Those who are interested in helping American beekeepers can do so by spreading awareness of this pressing issue, speaking with members of the government, and purchasing US made honey. Additionally, people can help combat one of the greatest threats facing both honey bees and wild pollinators: the increasing lack of pollinator forage.
Climate change, urban sprawl, more effective weed management, and movements to ban honey bees from public lands are all factors which are decreasing forage for bees. As less forage is available for bees, beekeepers are having to spend money on feed supplements which, though helpful, cannot compare to natural sources.
Project Apis m. is a nonprofit organization entirely funded by donations from beekeepers, farmers, and corporations and has invested over $13 million in honey bee research since 2006. Much of this research has shown that cover crops can be a valuable source of forage for managed colonies on the farms where these bees need it the most.
Because of this, Project Apis m. started the Seeds for Bees® program, which has provided free or subsidized cover crop seed to farmers and beekeepers for over a decade. The program continues to grow since its inception in 2013 and has awarded over 114 thousand acres of cover crop.
The cover crop mixes available through the Seeds for Bees® program have been carefully designed to offer both honey bee forage and on farm benefits. For example, Seeds for Bees® Pollinator Brassica mix provides early season forage that’s often available long before many other forage sources. This mix, which is composed of 3 different kinds of mustards, a canola, and daikon radish, is excellent at breaking up soil compaction, suppressing weeds, increasing water infiltration, and when its terminated, releases a compound which is toxic to both nematodes and small weed seeds.
Seeds for Bees® Nitrobuilder mix is favored by farmers for its nitrogen fixing abilities. Comprised of triticale, daikon radish, and common vetch, it provides a longer forage period than the Pollinator Brassica blend but doesn’t flower as early. This mix has become our most popular blend due to the nitrogen fixing capabilities of vetch, which can fix up to 100lbs of nitrogen per acre depending on growing conditions.
Nitrobuilder Seeds for Bees® seed mix and a honey bee.
Those interested in trying cover crops for themselves and who are located in California can do so through the Seeds for Bees® program. There are three criteria to apply; participants must be located in California, be able to plant at least 4 acres of cover crop, and either be or represent a commercial farm or beekeeper. First year participants can receive up to $2,500 in free seed and second year participants can receive up to $1,500 in free seed. The application period is from April 1st to August 31st and applications can be found on the Project Apis m. webpage.
Author
Stetcyn Maldonado, Seeds for Bees® Manager
