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Bee colonies experience record winter losses

A new survey from the Bee Informed Partnership finds honeybee colony winter losses were record high this past year.

The preliminary results of the survey found beekeepers lost nearly 38 percent of colonies over the winter, the highest amount since reporting began 13 years ago.

More than 40 percent of honeybee colonies were lost from April 2018 to April 2019, up slightly from the year before. 

Summer losses of about 20 percent during 2018 were also up slightly from the year before but steady with losses seen since 2011.

Researchers say varroa mites are the largest contributing factor to colony losses and control options are becoming less effective.  Extreme weather, poor nutrition, pesticide exposure, and environmental factors are also causing declines.