Beekeepers lost 48.2% of their managed hives to threats including the varroa mite and adverse weather.

By Olivia Rosane. Published 6-23-2023 by Common Dreams

The year that spanned April 1, 2022 to April 1, 2023 was the second deadliest on record for U.S. honeybees.

Beekeepers lost 48.2% of their managed hives, according to the initial results of the Bee Informed Partnership’s annual Colony Loss and Management Survey, released Thursday.

“This is a very troubling loss number when we barely manage sufficient colonies to meet pollination demands in the U.S.,” Jeff Pettis, a former government bee scientist and current president of the global beekeeper association Apimondia who was not involved in the study, told The Associated Press. “It also highlights the hard work that beekeepers must do to rebuild their colony numbers each year.”

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