6d ago

US honeybee deaths hit record high as scientists scramble to find main cause

www.theguardian.com

Summary

US honeybee deaths hit a record high, with beekeepers losing over 60% of colonies this winter.

The crisis threatens pollination of key crops and has led to financial ruin for many beekeepers. Scientists cite climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, varroa mites, and poor handling as potential causes.

The USDA is investigating the latest losses, but Trump-era staff cuts have slowed research, prompting Cornell University to assist.

Despite increased colony numbers from rising beekeeper interest, loss rates continue to surge, endangering agriculture and ecosystems.

Bees and Beekeeping @mander.xyz

Nemeski @lemm.ee

6d ago

US honeybee deaths hit record high as scientists scramble to find main cause

www.theguardian.com /us-news/2025/mar/25/honeybees-deaths-record-high

55 comments

Was personally just looking around and thinking "Where the fuck are all the bees?". They're normally extremely active in my area this time of year, and am devastated to hear this.
- There's a guy I know of who keeps bees, and while there are some people nearby who get pissy at him every time they see a bee, most people love how well all the flowers and gardens grow nearby and understand why they do.
  This past year I went to someone's house nearby and their tree was blooming, but didn't look nearly as good as usual. And then I noticed I couldn't hear any bees.
  When that tree has flowers, it's filled with so many bees you can hear it buzzing from the road about 300m away.
  Now silence.
  I haven't seen a bee around where I live in over a year. And I'm outside a lot in the spring and summer. Usually I get a few buzzing over me when I'm out in my hammock, but I have yet to hear one this year. I'm hoping they're just "sleeping in" a bit but I fear I already know the truth...
  
  There's also a big difference between the type of bees (honeybees) that keepers care for, and the "other" kinds (carpenter, yellow jacket...etc).
  If they're ALL missing from your area, that's detrimental to plants being able to live.
  
  I usually have to make carpenter bee traps/lures so they leave the exposed wood around my property alone. They're going to collapse the porch at this rate.
  The traps are basically just sections of 2x4 with little starter holes drilled here and there. Idk why but the chonkers seem to like those more.
  So far, no traps this year.
  I haven't even seen any hornets or daubers
  
  Honestly, at this point we may need to just stop trapping and killing any of the pest pollinators. The hormone traps they sell everywhere now have got to be a huge problem.
  
  All pollinators are good pollinators.
  
  I say "trap" but I don't kill anything, and they don't die.
  It's just a sacrificial post I keep near the wood I want them to leave alone.
  They're alive and well in their 2x4s
- You should plant some native wildflowers if you can. Especially purple and blue ones (bees see purple the best, much like humans see red).
  
  We have that, but I feel like we just actual numbers to combat the colony collapses at this point.
  
  I don't know what bees are native to your area, but you could help them out by buying some baby bees in their cocoons and releasing them when appropriate. For me in the Pacific Northwest, it's mason bees in the spring and leafcutter bees in the summer. I've got a couple little bee houses with tubes for them to nest in. And the tiny baby bees are adorable.

55 comments