The bee population loss rate was less than last year.
According to beeinformed.org, for the 2016-2017 winter season, 4,963 beekeepers in the United States provided validated survey responses.
For the 11th consecutive year beekeepers have been able to track and record the loss and management practices of their bees.
Collectively, these beekeepers managed 363,987 colonies, which represent about 13% of the country?s estimated 2.78 million managed honey producing colonies.
An estimated 21.1% of colonies managed in the United States were lost over the 2016-2017 winter. This is an improvement of 5.8 percent compared to last year’s winter.
Beekeepers not only lose colonies in winter, but also throughout summer. The 2016 summer colony loss rate was 18.1%.
Between April 2016 and March 2017, beekeepers lost a combined total of 33.2% of their colonies. This is the second lowest rate of annual colony loss recorded over the last seven years.
Phil Ebert owner of Ebert Honey in Lynnville, Iowa processes about 640 pounds of honey a year.
He explains the hardest thing about beekeeping is keeping the bee’s alive.
Ebert says there are four things causing the decline of bees, “The four big issues are Varroa mites, viruses, insecticides, and lack of forage. It’s like four strikes and you’re out. It’s a tough world out there if you’re a bee.”
As far as how the population of bees can be built back up Ebert says, “I wish I had an answer to that.”
