Previously only honey bee operations with five colonies or more were surveyed. Over the entire year (1 April 2020 - 1 April 2021), beekeepers in the United States lost an estimated 45.5% of their managed honey bee colonies (Fig. The domesticated western honeybee is the best-known species and is managed by beekeepers for honey production and other products. Bee statistics reveal that these creatures may be small, but theyre some of the most essential little workers in the world. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". What is still in question is the roots of the bee population problem. Bee statistics from 2019 revealed that the European Union produces approximately 230,000 tons of honey yearly from 17.5 million beehives managed by 650,000 beekeepers. Here are the most important statistics about the current global bee situation. However, there are a few ways you can help bee populations. Sunflower crops suffer from a fungus called sclerotia. 12 May, 2016. http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/05/0114.xml, Wright, Matthew. Your website is so cool. In the U.S., winter losses have commonly reached 30-50 percent, in some cases more. Farmers will get financial support to make the necessary changes to reverse flora and fauna decline. CCD, while alarming, is not the main reason behind the mass die-off of the bees, and is much less common today than when we first started hearing about it in the media. A few of them have been around for over 20 years. The population decline of honey bees started in this country in the mid 1980's when two new parasitic mites were introduced. "}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Why are the bees dying? One of the most prominent bee decline effects would be the inevitable loss of honey. Findings reveal that 150 bee species populations are declining (7.7%), 244 are stable (12.6%), and 13 are increasing (0.7%). This is 1% more than the same period in 2018 when bee colonies were 2.64 million. Other losses will include beans and nuts. Over the past 15 years, bee colonies have been disappearing in what is known as the "colony collapse disorder," according to National Geographic. The added revenue to crop production from pollinators is valued at $18 billion. Of course, these are only the beehives reported to the United Nations, so this figure may be quite different in reality. While in some countries the mortality rates improved significantly (Spain, Sweden, Finland, Germany) other countries rates worsened in this time span (France, Italy). Commercial enterprises run most bee-breeding programs. Headlines of honey bee colony losses have given an impression of large-scale global decline of the bee population that endangers beekeeping 1,2 and that the world is on the verge of mass starvation. NASS conducted the Colony Loss Survey for the first time in 2015. The states that experienced the lowest portion of losses were Indiana and South Carolina, with an 11.8% loss, and Nebraska, with a 13.6% loss. It has been collecting data on US honey bee colonies for over 30 years. An analysis of 228 bee species in the UK revealed that disease,pollution, habitat loss, and climate change are the leading causes of many bee species becoming regionally extinct. Moreover, honey bee population data from 2019 reveals one more fact. It wasnt until recent years that actual changes were made to help at least stabilize their numbers. Sadly, Indias Apis dorsata numbers have dropped by 20 percent in just 10 years. With that in mind, the FDA estimates there are at the very least 2 trillion managed bees. Experts blame environmental pressures like deforestation and forest fires. Each crop has different pollination requirements from bees. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In the US, beekeepers have lost ~30% of their colonies . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Section 207(f)(2) of the E-Government Act of 2002 requires federal agencies to develop an inventory of information to be published on their Web sites, establish a schedule for publishing information, make those schedules available for public comment, and post the schedules and priorities on the Web site. The. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. An annual survey of beekeepers shows honey bees continue to die at high rates. Research conducted by the National Research Council in 2007 concluded that in 60 years number of colonies dropped from 6 million to 2 million in the U.S which equates to 66.6% decrease (Figure 1). In general, pollination services are provided by a wide range of animals such as bees, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, birds and mammals , however, bees, which are the predominant and most economically important group of pollinators, are facing a substantial population decline worldwide, and particular, in Europe [3,4,5]. Bees and other pollinators, including birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, wasps, beetles, and small mammals, play a critical role in our food production system. Did you know that if the bees disappeared, it would leave us with minimal food sources at skyrocketing prices? Then a couple of years back, after a casual read about farm animals on the internet (yea, he does that), he realized that many of the articles are either false or misleading. They return to a set location to take a break for several months before it all starts again. Current scientific research indicates that parasites, and the diseases they carry, are the main threat to the lives of honey bees. Reflecting the trend of . A study by Mark Brown of Royal Holloway University in London stated that one in five wild bees had the deformed wing virus associated with the parasitic varroa mite. Still, the effects of bee decline will lead to the diversity of food options being reduced. In Europe, researchers reported the loss of approximately 30% to 50% of honey bee colonies, depending on the country11https://www.researchgate.net/publication/246044829_The_Effect_of_Cell_Phone_Radiations_on_the_Life_Cycle_of_Honeybees. The Golden State produces about 85% of the world's almonds, Mulica said. (FAO) Studies show that out of all the bee species' populations, 7.7% are declining, 12.6% are stable, and 0.7% are increasing; but for the majority (79%), this data remains unknown. In February, about 60% of managed colonies head to California to begin almond production, McArt said. The data shows that Uzbekistan has seen the most dramatic increase in beehive numbers, thanks to a drive in beekeeping in this country. The Huffington Post. Each of their sites contains over 300,000 managed bees. A honeybee is shown sitting on a yellow flower. Unfortunately, it wasnt, and the numbers continued to drop over the years. However, the population trend for 79% of bee species (1,535) is unknown. Globally, pollinators are in decline. Findings reveal that 150 bee species' populations are declining (7.7%), 244 are stable (12.6%), and 13 are increasing (0.7%). The bee population decline in the US has been happening for a long time. Source: iStock. Bee populations are in decline. Research has proven that pesticides are the leading cause of colony collapse disorder. Our survey . In the USA during 2007-2014 a substantial percentage of winter colony losses (20,5-60%) seem to have as their cause the symptoms compatible with CCD9https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282211157_Colony_Collapse_Disorder_CCD_A_Review_of_the_Possible_Factors_and_Agents_Involved. But, Nevada is the leader. It was then reintroduced in 2006 when colony collapse disorder was first reported. But, there are already positive results from preserving the current numbers and preventing continued die-off. According to Dr Veenstra, one of the main reasons for the decline is the varroa mite (a parasite that attacks honey bees). The populations of wild bees and other pollinators are suffering too, McArt said. Funded by several genomics and conservation organizations, the project researching bee DNA started in October 2019 and will be completed by 2023. Worker bees tend to live longest during the winter -- up to six months -- and just four weeks in the spring and summer, according to the American Bee Journal. Unfortunately, the data over the last couple of years is more than disturbing. While Williams does not believe honey bees are under threat of extinction, if their numbers continue to dwindle they could become a much more costly commodity for farmers, he said. Planet Bee - Changing the World, One Bee and One Student at a Time! These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Here are the most popular ones:\n\nBuy organic, avoid GMOs.\nGarden without insecticides.\nPlant nectar-rich flowers.\nShop local.\nGet a beehive and become a hobby beekeeper.\nAdopt a hive.\nCreate a watering hole for bees in your yard.\nTalk about it and share information.\nSign one of the many petitions supporting the bees."}}]}. Although this seems impressivewith each of the hives having between 10,000 and 60,000 bees in them, the numbers drop dramatically. Although the word "bee" evokes in most people the image of the domesticated honeybee, Apis mellifera, more than 20,000 species of bees have been described from all over the world.Bees are the most important group of pollinating insects and are key not only to the . Besides about 20,000 species of bees, other pollinators include some species of vertebrates, bats, birds, beetles, wasps, moths, butterflies, and flies. Although effective in killing insects harmful to the crops, they are also deadly to bees.\n\nResearch has proven that pesticides are the leading cause of colony collapse disorder. Another reason is the importation of Western honey bees and their accompanying pests, which end up infecting wild hives14https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/02/why-asia-should-worry-more-about-its-honeybees-than-its-tigers/#fYceYKbFfW7rczuY.97. Crop pollination is crucial for crop survival and, thus, feeding the world population. Many small mammals and birds could disappear. The decline was similar for bumble bees and other types of wild bees, while the population of honey bees, which aren't native to the region and are managed in hives by farmers, remained stable. Get in touch with us now. Many people dont think about the little buzzers in their backyards. Honey bee losses of more than 30% annually have been reported by Michigan beekeepers over the past few years, with the 2013/2014 winter poised to be even worse. The meat will be scarce because most of the animals we eat highly depend on the plants that bees pollinate. An analysis of a global dataset of collected and observed bees shows that fewer species are being found in most recent decades. Beginning in January 2013, bee populations in the control colonies began to increase as expected, but populations in the neonicotinoid-treated hives continued to decline. "Cell Phones Don't Kill Bees (STUDY)." . What bees do is the first step of a long process that results in food on our tables. Theyre added either to the seeds, entire plants, or the soil of plants that bees pollinate. According to Dr. Baldwyn Torto from theInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), based in Kenya, the situation especially in Kenya is becoming similarly problematic like in Europe and the USA. We first perform an analysis of steady state bee populations given mortality rates within each bee caste and find . There are 25 more bee species threatened and another 31 bee species producing conservation concerns. You can also build bee habitats or raise money for charities to help conduct research and spread the word. Although theres been some stabilization recently, it was made possible because of the beekeeping industrys dramatically increased efforts. Wisconsin's honey production has been falling for years. Several studies show that in the . Bees bring pollen back to their hives for food - one pollen grain with trace chemicals wouldn't be an issue, but scientists have found that the chemicals accumulate to critical levels within the beeswax. The day focuses on promoting actions by individuals, society, organizations, and governments for improving the diversity and abundance of their habitatsall while showing support for beekeeping. Over the last decade, the United Kingdom alone saw a significant disappearance of its bee population. 70 percent of . NASS has conducted the Bee and Honey Inquiry survey annually since 1986. "This is really a big knockout blow to a lot of these hives," Mulica said. There are several reasons, both known and unknown, leading to such drastic bee deaths. The fertilizers and pesticides used on crops, and even in your backyard, may kill other harmful pests, but theyre also killing bees. ","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It's difficult to determine the exact number of bees in the world. The more they suffer, the more we will in the future. These U.S. crops are produced with the help of 2.6 million colonies transported by 18-wheelers from place to place during peak flowering, McArt said. This national survey keeps track of the annual losses to understand how widespread the problem is. Have a BEE-utiful day! Some regions have seen losses of up to 90%, the publication reported. Corn stocks down, soybean stocks down from year earlier The decline was similar for bumble bees and other types of wild bees, while the population of honey bees, which aren't native to the region and are managed in hives by farmers, remained stable. Since 2010, the US honey bee population has declined from 25% to 45% due to air pollution. While the honey bee population statistics are frightening, in fact, 9.2% of all bee species in Europe are near extinction. The bees were allegedly stolen between January 28 and January 30. Utah beekeepers lost 49.1% of their colonies over the winter of 2019. 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