‘Catastrophic’ US honeybee deaths sting Rockford-area beekeeper, orchard

‘Catastrophic’ US honeybee deaths sting Rockford-area beekeeper, orchard















Phillip Raines raises one board from inside his honeybee hives.

The Raines Honey Farm owner and “apiarist,” or beekeeper, points to damage sustained in recent months – visible in darkened honeycombs.

At Valley Orchard in Cherry Valley, swarms of the yellow and black striped surround hive boxes. Raines notes the colony he displays has recovered; others elsewhere weren’t as fortunate.

“There’s beekeepers that went from 15,000 to 1,000 – 40,000 down to 8,000," he says of hive levels from his apiarist peers. Raines remembers strolling through rows of almond trees in California this winter; the scene he paints echoes a nightmare.


“There was tens of thousands of dead beehives all around us,” Raines describes.

Entomologists from Washington State University estimate up to 70% of commercial honeybee colonies will die in 2025. Project Apis m. (a nonprofit group supporting beekeeping) calls the losses “catastrophic” for the $17 billion agricultural industry reliant on pollination in the U.S.

A specific reason for the population crash remains under scientific investigation.

“Without beekeepers, two-thirds of the food you eat will no longer be there,” warns Raines.


Over the last year, Raines lost around 60% of his 500 hives. Although that number’s nearly returned to typical levels, thanks to sending some hives to Texas, the beekeeper expects a tough growing season ahead.

“There’s orchards like this that aren’t getting bees this year. They’re not getting anything,” he emphasizes.

Raines considers Raoul Bergersen to be “one of the lucky ones.” Before owning and operating Valley Orchard, Bergersen called beekeeping a living.

“It is something that demands your attention,” he characterizes. “When the bees needed attention, so did the orchard.” The orchard owner mentions that “attention” continues into solving the “mysterious” colony collapses.


“There apparently is no cure in sight,” says Bergersen – referencing the theory that a virus may have caused the population crashes. “It’s just imperative that something is done. Without it, agriculture – or at least specialty cropped agriculture – is in trouble.”

Although Valley Orchard has honeybees for 2025, Bergersen braces for further population declines. One solution takes root beneath the orchard’s apple and cherry trees: native flowers.

“That may not help domesticated honey bees, but it does help native bees,” says Bergersen.

Raines claims native populations aren’t in any shape to support orchards. Still, the beekeeper believes this recent collapse isn’t a conclusion for the species.


“When you look at the industry in general, every 15 to 20 years you see a huge die-off,” Raines contends. A reason for that isn’t at hand, “There’s just not enough research. There’s no funds available for beekeepers.”

While collapse theories circulate around the role of viruses, mites, climate pesticides or agricultural pressure, some expect stronger honeybees to survive.

“The next four or five years, this survivor stock that we have in the country will grow much more robustly,” maintains Raines. The beekeeper compares the situation to humans pushing through the flu.

Although answers await years, Raines offers two solutions anyone can start. The first: buy local honey. The second: let pollinators live in untouched lawns (temporarily).


“They have a place to go get groceries and nectar to get a good start to their season. So, let the beautiful dandelions bloom. It’s ok to have some diversity in your lawn,” considers Raines – shouting out No Mow May. “It’s only going to last maybe 10 days to 2 weeks, and it’s actually very pretty.”