Beekeepers across the country are turning alarms as bee populations are falling at an unprecedented rate. This is a trend that can affect the purse of Americans in grocery stores.
According to the National Park Service, honeybees are the backbone of food ecosystems, pollinating 75% of the world’s natural materials. However, Project Apis m, a nonprofit organization supporting beekeeping science. A recent national survey by , found that “catastrophic” bees have declined across the industry.
Commercial operators reported an average loss of 62% from June to February nationwide.
“These astounding losses outweigh historical trends can have a major impact on crop pollination in the US, particularly almonds, fruits, vegetables and other essential food sources,” the study states.
Elina L. Niño, who runs the bee health hub at the University of California, Davis, said researchers have not determined why so many bees have died in the past year.
“There are many factors that can kill a colony,” she includes pathogens. Varroa parasites that keep bees. And nutritional deficiency.
“Let that be in sight – in the US – we have around 2.7 million colonies, so that’s a huge loss for beekeepers and a huge loss for the agriculture industry,” Niño said. “And of course, combining it with theft is not good news for beekeepers either.”
According to Project Apis M, honeybees are responsible for $17 billion in agricultural production in the United States each year.
“Therefore, if there is a loss of pollinators pollinating these crops, the prices of food will likely rise,” Niño said.
The only insect that produces food for human consumption, honeybees have become hotter products as their numbers diminished.
In Butte County, northern California, beehive theft revolves around almond pollination, said Deputy Sheriff Lawdy Freeman, a member of California’s Rural Crime Prevention Task Force.
“Because I’m a beekeeper who stole it from other beekeepers.
Investigators say that most thefts occur at night, so beekeepers are becoming creative by hives hives that hide tracking devices.
The task force also encourages beekeepers to brand their hive brands so that law enforcement can determine the rightful owner.
“It’s rare to recover a stolen nest box,” Freeman said.
California bee theft has increased 87% since 2013, equivalent to stolen hives of over $3.5 million, according to the task force.
Trevor Touser, a beekeeper who helps 4 million bees pollinate the 40-acre almond orchard near Sacramento, California, had to deal with the death and theft of the bees.
“I feel a violation,” Touser said. “You work all year round, put all your money in, all your efforts, all your passions, all your bees are kept healthy, then someone disappears with them.”
Niño said beekeepers need government support to combat losses, but ordinary people can play a role by providing access to clean bee feed.
“If you have a backyard, UC Davis has great resources and you can look up plants to support pollinators,” Niño said. “Studies have shown again and again that if honeybees have access to rich feed, abundant flowers, they can address many other negative factors they have to expose.”