Beekeepers say catastrophic honeybee losses are cause for alarm (an old story that's gotten worse)

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Beekeepers say catastrophic honeybee losses are cause for alarm, Minnesota Public Radio, February 23, 2025

Honeybee officials are raising the alarm about severe colony losses over the past few months. The extent of the bee deaths is still being tallied, but one estimate suggests more than a million colonies have died.

. . . Over the past 20 years commercial beekeepers have often lost nearly 50 percent of their bees over the winter. But [Minnesota beekeeper Steve] Ellis, who is also president of the national Pollinator Stewardship Council, said he’s hearing from beekeepers who have losses ranging from 70 to 100 percent this year. One immediate repercussion is that there aren't enough bees to fully pollinate California’s almond crop.

. . . Commercial beekeepers have struggled with bee losses for about 20 years since a widespread sudden die off was labeled Colony Collapse Disorder. Researchers believe exposure to pesticides, loss of flowering habitat and pathogens all contributed to past losses.

In its news release, Project Apis m. said the trends of this die off resemble past Colony Collapse Disorder events “and may impact pollination services and food security.”

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/02/23/beekeepers-say-catastrophic-honeybee-losses-are-cause-for-alarm