Entomologists at Washington State University predict that the US Honeybee colony may decline by up to 70% by 2025.
The university revealed in a News Release that over the last decade, annual losses of Honeybee Colonies averaged between 40% and 50%. However, this year, a combination of factors such as nutritional deficiencies, mites infections, viral diseases, and potential pesticide exposure during the previous pollination season contributed to even higher losses.
Priya Chakrabarti Basu, assistant professor of health and pollinator behavior at WSU, expressed concern over the increasing losses, stating, “The demand for pollination remains high, putting pressure on beekeepers to maintain colonies to meet these needs.”
The implications could be significant as about 35% of the world’s food depends on pollinators, as stated by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
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Brandon Hopkins, professor of pollinator ecology at WSU, warned that higher colony losses could result in increased costs for farmers relying on bee colonies.
Hopkins added, “This level of national loss could potentially lead to beekeepers facing bankruptcy, affecting farmers who depended on them for pollination.”
The Honeybee industry had a production value of around $350 million in 2023, as reported by the Agriculture Department.
Hopkins noted that extreme Honeybee losses also pose a particular risk to the almond industry this year.
He stated, “The almond industry heavily relies on robust colonies, and this year, due to low supply, any beehives are in high demand.”
Reflecting on the situation, Hopkins added, “I haven’t seen a decline like this since the colony collapse in 2008.”
Source: www.nbcnews.com
