Can U.S. Agriculture Survive Declining Honey Bee Populations?

The beekeeping industry is set to face its most challenging year yet.  Bee colonies have been in decline for decades, but according to newly analyzed data, colony losses in the last year are “catastrophic.” From hobby farms to commercial beekeeping facilities, die offs are so extensive that major beekeeping businesses are in jeopardy, honey production is expected to hit record lows in the United States and crops dependent on these pollinators could suffer.

Of the 1.9 million colonies participating in the survey, a staggering 1.6 million experienced losses. Commercial beekeeping data shows the highest rate of loss at 62%. But, even hobbyists reported 51% die offs this year.  With little to no modification in beekeeping methods scientists believe the large scale loss is simply the compounding effect of known contributors to colony die offs including mites, pesticides, environmental changes and weak queens.

Will Pollinator Services Shutdown? 

Is there a point of no return? As pollinators, healthy honey bee colonies are crucial to our food security, but they are also a cog in our economic wheel. Beekeeping as a business has grown in popularity over the last 20 years. Commercial beekeeping operations from Texas to Maine make their money by sending pollinators to California’s Central Valley every spring to support almond production as well as fruit and vegetable crops.

Alfalfa, almonds, berries, melons, pears and plums are just a few of the crops that depend on the bee colonies that are moved from state to state to support food production in America. The average beekeeper earns $150 per colony. The almond industry alone requires 1.5 million bee colonies to pollinate their crops and ensure predictable yields. And, almond farmers are willing to spend 20% of their operating budget to truck in bee colonies. 

For beekeepers looking at 62% population loss, meeting quotas will be tough. Beekeeper associations speculate these losses will force many large facilities and sideline businesses to close up shop as any profits that stand to be earned will no longer offset operational costs of transporting bee colonies cross country. 

Losses are already believed to hover around $600 million for the industry and could climb considering that many of the remaining colonies might not be moved to support agriculture this year. It is a blow to the industry at large.  There is a growing fear that the next generation will not perceive beekeeping as a lucrative career option and the U.S. will lose honey bee advocates as well as bee populations. 

Fewer Honey Bees Means Less Honey

For many it is a choice between renting colonies to farmers or keeping them at home for honey production. Loss rates were already deemed unsustainable if they continued at the same pace into the future; making this year’s data alarming.  Honey could prove to be the more lucrative option for beekeepers with sideline businesses. Maintaining between 50-500 colonies and regularly experiencing a 50% loss makes it difficult to commit to pollinator services and meet quotas.  Honey production requires fewer input costs and isn’t likely to experience demand declines.

Demand for pure honey has been on the rise as consumers continue to favor it as a healthy sweetener. Imports of honey are increasingly scrutinized for quality due to misleading labeling and the U.S. has even banned imports due to impurities. Though honey production will no doubt be affected by dwindling populations of honeybees, it is highly unlikely that  demand will decrease which could create reliable income streams for beekeepers looking to move away from pollinator services.

No Bees No Crops

Without pollinators it is impossible to produce fruits and vegetables here in the United States. Much of the farming in California depends on incoming honeybee colonies to act as these pollinators. Though bees are just one of many winged bugs capable of spreading pollen, we are not shipping millions of moths or flies to farms across the country. Can food production in America carry on without honey bees?

Scientists and farmers alike have warned that dwindling populations of pollinators are a serious problem for food security. Current data suggests we are worse off than we realized. California farmers counting on honey bee deliveries may have to make do without this year. For a country aiming to import fewer fruits and vegetables and ramp up domestic food production, the loss of bee colonies feels like horrible timing. The bees ensure the quantity of food produced. Less produce coming up from Mexico plus less produce grown in the U.S. equals more expensive fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. 

In terms of agricultural survival, identifying pollinator alternatives is imperative.  Honey bee losses are not unique to the U.S. and pollinator populations including butterflies and moths are also in decline. Pollination services appear to be unsustainable in the long run. Is our reliance on commercially cultivated colonies on such a large scale contributing to bigger losses every year?  The USDA along with several beekeeper associations and impacted industries are working quickly to identify solutions.