US Beekeepers Are Seeing a Surge in Bee Deaths, and It Could Hit Your Wallet

Key Points

• Texas beekeepers have lost up to two-thirds of their colonies in the past year, with no clear solution to stop the decline.
• Experts cite parasites, habitat loss, and extreme weather as key factors, warning that the crisis could disrupt agriculture nationwide.
• With Texas playing a major role in U.S. food production, the bee die-off could lead to lower crop yields, higher food prices, and financial losses for farmers.

One out of every three bites of food you consume is thanks to a teeny, tiny pollinator — many of which are bees. That means bees and their pollinating companions account for about 75% of the global food crop. Over the last few decades, the world has witnessed a rise in bee colony collapse, including during the winter of 2006-2007, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that beekeepers faced "unusually high losses of 30-90%" of their hives. However, there was a glimmer of hope in 2015 when bee colony numbers reached a 20-year high. Unfortunately, Texas farmers now say that this increase is rapidly disappearing. 

According to a recent report by the Texas Tribune, farmers in the state have experienced a troubling surge in bee colony collapses over the past year. Many say the situation is getting so bad that they may be unable to pollinate the produce grown both in-state and elsewhere. 

The paper pointed to a survey by Project Apis m., a honey bee research nonprofit, which revealed that beekeepers in Texas lost, on average, around two-thirds of their colonies in the last year. The data indicated that commercial beekeepers across the U.S. also experienced over 60% loss of their bees for unclear reasons. This could amount to a financial loss of up to $635 million for beekeepers in the country. 

“If you take a commercial beekeeper, say they’ve got 500 hives. Well, the losses they’re looking at are about 60%. Well, that’s going to be borderline as to whether they recover. They can do splits and have twice as many. In doing that, they won’t have the ability to do the pollination that they need to,” beekeeper Dennis Taylor told the local Texas News Channel 6 Now. 

But why now?

"The current spike in colony declines in Texas likely results from a combination of factors," Dr. Tracy Ellis, an award-winning entomologist at FarmSense, shared with Food & Wine. Ellis noted that issues include the plague of Varroa mite parasites on honey bee hives, as well as the viruses and pathogens the mites carry, "continues to be the utmost challenge for beekeepers." 

Sadly, there also isn't much bee farmers can do. "Despite many years of research, there is truly no effective way to control varroa mite infestations," Ellis explained. "Adding to the stress on colonies are nutritional deficiencies caused by habitat loss and lack of pollen diversity in pollinator diets. Extreme weather events like the heatwaves and cold snaps in Texas add to the disruption of available nutritious food resources for honey bees and other native pollinators. These multiple factors weaken managed honey bee colonies and make them more susceptible to population declines."

While this may seem like a Texas-only issue, it could have serious repercussions for the entire nation. According to Farm Progress, Texas ranks as the fourth-highest agricultural contributor to the U.S. economy, generating nearly $30 billion in agricultural commodities. As the Texas Department of Agriculture stated, "more than 60 commercial fruit and vegetable crops and over 600 specialty crops are grown in the Lone Star State," many of which thrive because of pollinators.  

"The impact on crop production could be substantial, especially since bees are crucial pollinators for many fruits, vegetables, nuts, and forage crops," Ellis said."Texas is a producer of crops like melons, cucumbers, squash, and various berries — all very dependent on pollinators. A decline in bee populations could lead to lower yields, increased costs for growers needing to rent managed pollination services, and potentially higher prices at grocery stores." 

These losses in Texas will likely have a ripple effect in California, the nation's largest agricultural producer. According to Geoffrey Williams, an agriculture professor at Auburn University, this is because many Texas bee farmers send their bees to California to assist in pollinating almonds, which are 100% dependent on pollination. 

“This is one of the years where, from what I’ve heard through the grapevine, these beekeepers may not even recover,” Williams told the Texas Tribune. “In some cases, I think we’re going to lose beekeeping companies because they had to essentially just throw in the towel.”

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Furthermore, the same issue could spread far beyond Texas. Ellis explained that honey bees and other pollinators are "very mobile." And the varroa mite parasite originated in Asia but has easily spread across the globe, "impacting pollination and food security on all continents except Australia. Other parasites and pathogens that are currently confined to local regions can be spread quickly to impact honey bee health as well." 

But not all hope is lost. Ellis noted everyone can contribute to helping the bees in meaningful ways. 

"Home gardeners and farmers can plant flowering trees, shrubs, flowers, and native plants to provide safe forage and habitat for honey bees and local pollinators." Ellis also suggested supporting sustainable agriculture practices and advocating for improved environmental policies. Ellis added, "Educating oneself about the importance of pollinators and contributing to citizen science programs that track bee and pollinator health can further aid researchers in tackling this issue."