The Beekeeping Industry Is In Panic As A Shocking Number Of Bees Die

Commercial beekeepers saw well over 50% losses this winter. As California prepares for almond season, and for fruits like blueberries and cherries after that, not enough bees could mean higher prices at the grocery store.

Bees died off by the millions this winter in an unprecedented event that’s resulted in recent losses of more than 50% and financial losses of more than $139 million, according to a survey by bee industry groups released this afternoon. The new survey results, representing 234 beekeepers, come just as the California almond growing season is set to begin, a massive event that requires pretty much all of the country’s 3 million honey bees colonies to be trucked out so they can pollinate the trees.

“There’s a full panic right now to figure out what’s wrong and how bad it’s going to be,” said Danielle Downey, executive director of Project Apis m. (named for the Latin name of the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera), one of the industry groups involved in the survey. When the beekeepers opened their operations back up after winter, they discovered that half or more of their bees were dead or gone, and by late-January they’d reached out to researchers who might be able to figure out what was going on.