Oregon beekeeping industry struggles with massive losses of colonies

Commercial beekeepers are sounding the alarm about a sharp drop in the number of bee colonies. Some in Oregon and Washington have faced losses of nearly all of their colonies.

Andy Angstrom of Silverton Apiaries, Inc. said he's lost 60% of his colonies this year. Angstrom, who's been a beekeeper for 40 years, just brought in a semi truck full of bees to replace the bees he lost. He estimated a loss of at least $200,000.

"Friends had 85% die out," he said. "I've heard of 95% die-out."

He spent the day Tuesday dividing up bees to fill other beekeepers' equipment "before they put the queen in them." 

Angstrom has still had worse years — in 1999 and 2021 he lost 95% of his colonies — but he said this latest die-out is notable because it's affecting beekeepers all around the country.

"I think it's a combination of the mites and viruses in the hives," he said. "The mites are a catalyst to the viruses."

He's hoping researchers at local universities will figure out what's causing the problems.

"We are still trying to understand what is happening," said Priya Chakrabarti Basu, an associate professor at Washington State University.

Washington State researchers predict a 60% to 75% loss in the number of commercial honeybee colonies in 2025 and say fewer bees to pollinate crops could lead to big losses for Oregon agriculture.

"You're looking at cherries, you're looking at apples," said Chakrabarti Basu. "In central Oregon, in Madras, it's a huge carrot seed population."

She said everyone can help save the bees by adding some flowering plants to the yard, leaving openings of soil for ground nesters and avoiding the use of harsh gardening or pest chemicals that might hurt the bees.