Apr 06, 2024 15:00:00

What's causing the rapid increase in honeybee populations in the US since 2017?

It has been

reported that the number of honeybees in the United States has declined significantly since 2000 due to natural disasters and abnormal weather, but a census by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has revealed that the number of honeybees has been growing rapidly in recent years.

Wait, does America suddenly have a record number of bees? - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/29/bees-boom-colony-collapse/

In the United States, the number of honeybee colonies has declined significantly since 2000 due to disease, parasites, pesticides, disasters, and extreme weather. In the winter of 2020, the annual honeybee loss rate was

reported to have reached 37.7%, the highest since the non-profit organization Bee Informed Partnership began its survey in 2010.

However, a survey by NASS revealed that since 2007, honeybees are the fastest growing livestock in the United States, with their numbers increasing by 31% from 2007 to 2022, and there are as many as 3.8 million colonies. Below is a graph of the increase and decrease in livestock since 2007, based on NASS data by The Washington Post. The bars in yellow are livestock that are declining, and the bars in blue are livestock that are increasing. Chickens and ducks are also increasing, but the increase rate of honeybees is far ahead of the rest.

While the NASS survey showed that honeybee colonies are on a rapid increase, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

annual honeybee report confirmed that honeybee colony numbers are actually on a downward trend. Below is a graph by The Washington Post summarizing the NASS survey results and the USDA report on one page, with the NASS data in dark brown and the USDA data in light yellow. The NASS figures show that honeybee colony numbers have increased since 2002, dropped in 2017, and increased to an all-time high in 2022, while the USDA figures have been on a downward trend since 2017.

Regarding this factor, Stan Daberkow, an economist at the Department of Agriculture, pointed out that 'NASS surveys all farms in the country that sell more than $1,000 (about 150,000 yen), while the USDA report focuses on large beekeepers with five or more hives. ' According to Daberkow, NASS's definition of '$1,000' has not changed since the survey began in 1975, so as the price of honey and pollination fees increase due to inflation in recent years, it is possible that small farms that are not included in the survey will gradually be included in the NASS survey.

Such small-scale beekeepers are rapidly increasing in states such as Texas, where since 2012, a system has been introduced that allows bees to be raised on 5 to 20 acres of land for five years and eligible for

agricultural tax incentives . As a result, the number of beekeepers in Texas has exploded, more than quadrupling from 2012 to 2022.

These efforts have also had a positive effect on crops that require artificial pollination, and in the United States, almond yields are increasing rapidly due to an increase in honeybees. In fact, the graph below shows that the area of almond cultivation, shown in dark colors, has been steadily increasing since 2007.

On the other hand, the Bee Informed Partnership

survey reported that beekeepers surveyed lost half of their honeybee colonies in the year from 2022 to April 2023, the second highest loss rate since the survey began. Nevertheless, they are countering these losses by implementing management measures such as frequent replacement, queen replacement, and thorough disease control.

However, Eliza Grames, an entomologist at Binghamton University, points out that 'beekeepers' management of honeybees is not good for native pollinators such as butterflies and moths. ' According to Grames, domesticated honeybees pose a threat to 4,000 native pollinator species in the United States, 40% of which are on the verge of extinction.

'The way to help native pollinators while supporting both bees and beekeepers is to create beautiful, flowering habitats on farms and in gardens,' said Mace Vaughan, pollinator and agricultural biodiversity advocate at the insect conservation group Xerces.