Even with the best of care, honeybees are struggling. Forty-four percent of U.S. bee colonies were lost in 2015-2016, according to a nationwide survey of beekeepers.
The report tallied responses from more than 5,700 beekeepers in 48 states.
According the the study, the annual rate of loss is 3.5% greater than the previous year, with increased summer losses a major factor in the rise in colony death. In fact, summer die-out rates now rival winter losses.
The report, published by BeeInformed.org, is unwelcome news for bees and beekeepers.
“The high rate of loss over the entire year means that beekeepers are working overtime to constantly replace their losses,” said Jeffery Pettis, a senior entomologist at the USDA and a co-coordinator of the survey. “These losses cost the beekeeper time and money. More importantly, the industry needs these bees to meet the growing demand for pollination services. We urgently need solutions to slow the rate of both winter and summer colony losses.”
Read the entire report here: https://beeinformed.org/2016/05/10/nations-beekeepers-lost-44-percent-of-bees-in-2015-16.