Off The Record
Honeybee Populations Plummet as Beekeepers Report Worst Losses in History
The pace of honeybee deaths is concerning, as beekeepers are dealing with the “worst bee loss in recorded history.” Unknown reasons have claimed the lives of “hundreds of millions of bees” over the last eight months.
The 2007 bee crisis was originally thought to be the worst the US has ever experienced by beekeepers nationwide. At the time, Colony Collapse Disorder was blamed for the millions of bees that died off.
At that time, it was found that Colony Collapse Disorder was not limited to the United States. It happened all around the world. Some nations modified their use of pesticides, which greatly increased their populations and reduced the winter die-off.
Regretfully, the United States is not among those nations. For the past eight months, the country has been dealing with a disastrous large honeybee die-off.
In his years of beekeeping, beekeeper Blake Shook says he has never encountered the loss of tens of thousands of bees.
“Some places are having devastating losses and there was a shortfall in pollination in some almond orchards this year,” McArt said. “Whether these impacts will cascade to other crops remains to be seen, it’s certainly possible.”
According to CBS News, many people might not be aware that 75% of the food produced in the US is pollinated by bees. In other words, “$15 billion worth of crops.” Shook said that honeybee losses of this kind cannot continue for very long.
“If this is a multi-year thing, it’ll change the way we consume food in the United States,” Shook said. “If we lose 80% of our bees every year, the industry cannot survive, which means we cannot pollinate at the scale that we need to produce food in the United States.”
Therefore, researchers must go out into the field and learn what is happening in order to prevent bees from dying in large numbers. However, given the government department in charge of this task’s budget cuts, that might be easier said than done.
Why Honeybee Populations Are Dying Off In The Millions
Millions of honeybees are disappearing from the planet. Since 2005, the number of honeybee deaths has been steadily rising annually. According to a survey by Project Apis m., the average annual loss of hives has increased to 60% from the previous standard of 10% to 20%.
No matter how big or numerous their bee colonies are, most beekeepers are unable to withstand losses of this size. The average annual loss of bees in hives will reach 70% by 2025.
The issue is that the reasons behind the bees’ demise remain unknown. There are theories regarding mites, infections, inadequate nutrition, and chemicals. It is unknown if any of these elements are significantly influencing the situation at the moment, even though several of them have in the past been the cause.
Cold weather may be a factor, since some bee growers have started relocating their hives to warmer regions in the winter. However, there hasn’t been any research to date that can definitively prove that weather is the only cause of the mortality, and the hives that relocated to warmer climates are also having problems.
Even worse, there might not be any answers to the mystery deaths of bees. This has to do with the current administration’s budget cuts, which have resulted in department reductions across numerous government agencies.
In particular, the USDA is in charge of addressing issues pertaining to the “colony loss crisis.” Among those laid off were USDA employees assigned to visit hives across the nation to assess the health of the bees. As a result, there are not enough workers left to perform this task effectively.
Bees will keep dying unless the causes of their frightening mortality rates are known. The food industry as we know it will change if this occurs. Food that was once plentiful will no longer exist. Pollination is necessary for the exquisite fruits to remain flawless. There will be fewer food options and higher prices. Because of this, the honeybees require immediate assistance in order to live and prevent global food scarcity.
What Can Be Done To Save The Honeybees
At the moment, 700 bee populations—including honeybees—are in decline in the United States. As a result, all native bees require assistance in order to survive.
Neonicotinoids can no longer be sprayed by large-scale agricultural companies. Honeybees that are exposed to this insecticide eventually die from neurological issues. This prevents insects from consuming plants, but it also prevents insects from pollinating and maintaining the health of the plants.
Some actions that can be taken to rescue honeybees at a more local level are as follows:
- Specifically cultivating flowers for pollinators
- Avoid using chemicals on weeds or plants.
- Because bees will use the ground cover to survive the winter, only fully clear a yard in the spring as opposed to the fall.
- Reduce food deserts by planting trees that yield thousands of blossoms annually for pollinators.
- To maintain small beekeepers’ operations, buy local honey.
There is a possibility that honeybees will survive if you help them stay healthy. They cannot continue to endure the severe decline they have faced over the past few decades. If 70% of honeybee populations are lost in too many more years, there won’t be any more honeybees to lose because there would be a worldwide food crisis from which it might be impossible to recover.
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