Honeybee Deaths Reach Record Levels in the U.S.
The beekeeping industry is facing a crisis due to honeybee deaths reaching record levels in the U.S. With 62 percent of commercial honeybee colonies collapsing between June 2024 and January 2025, this may be "the biggest loss of honeybee colonies in U.S. history," according to Scott McArt, a Cornell University associate professor of entomology.
Honeybees play a crucial role in the ecosystem and food production, pollinating around 75 percent of the plants grown in the U.S., contributing to approximately $18 billion worth of crops. As Blake Shook, a Texas beekeeper and founder of The Bee Supply, noted, if present trends continue, the food industry could collapse because "we cannot pollinate at the scale that we need to produce food in the United States."
"we cannot pollinate at the scale that we need to produce food in the United States"
Author's summary: Honeybee deaths reach record levels in the U.S.