# US Beekeepers Lost 40 Percent of Honey Bees in 2014-15, Survey S



## cornbread (Jul 4, 2005)

US Beekeepers Lost 40 Percent of Honey Bees in 2014-15, Survey Says

http://www.foodmanufacturing.com/news/2015/05/us-beekeepers-lost-40-percent-honey-bees-2014-15-survey-says?et_cid=4568032&et_rid=493524314&type=cta

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (PRNewswire-USNewswire) â Beekeepers across the United States lost more than 40 percent of their honey bee colonies during the year spanning April 2014 to April 2015, according to the latest results of an annual nationwide survey led by a University of Maryland professor. While winter loss rates improved slightly compared to last year, summer losses â and consequently, total annual losses â were more severe. Commercial beekeepers were hit particularly hard by the high rate of summer losses, which outstripped winter losses for the first time in five years, stoking concerns over the long-term trend of poor health in honey bee colonies.

The survey, which asks both commercial and small-scale beekeepers to track the health and survival rates of their honey bee colonies, is conducted each year by the Bee Informed Partnership in collaboration with the Apiary Inspectors of America, with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Survey results for this year and all previous years are publicly available on the Bee Informed website.

"We traditionally thought of winter losses as a more important indicator of health, because surviving the cold winter months is a crucial test for any bee colony," said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Maryland and project director for the Bee Informed Partnership. "But we now know that summer loss rates are significant too. This is especially so for commercial beekeepers, who are now losing more colonies in the summertime compared to the winter. Years ago, this was unheard of."

Beekeepers who responded to the survey lost a total of 42.1 percent of their colonies over the course of the year.


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## MechanicalBird (Sep 21, 2014)

Anyone here experiencing such heavy loses in their apiaries?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Yup and it was not all winter looses either. Started about August.
Was a short Story on CBS nightly news 5-17-15 about it.

 Al


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## MechanicalBird (Sep 21, 2014)

Any idea what is causing the losses? Do you think it's pesticides?


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## Dan in Ohio (Jul 16, 2005)

Sounds about right. I'm a new beekeeper, but this is about the same percentage my local beekeeping association found surveying my area. And there was little difference between the treated and untreated survival numbers.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Makes a person wonder what's going on, doesn't it?


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## mmoetc (Oct 9, 2012)

Here's a little more historical ( as far as it goes) data. I have trouble finding data further back to compare to. Honeybees are an introduced species largely kept in artificial environments. Moved around the country to follow pollination needs and uprooted repeatedly. The survey takes into account hobbyists also. How many of the reporting hobbyists are relatively new to this endeavor? Could their lack of experience and expertise lead to greater losses skewing the result higher? I'm not saying there might not be a problem but I question any industry , and that is what commercial pollinators are, who suddenly have a problem that requires government money to solve.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

My FIL is heavily involved in raising bees locally. I know from speaking with him that even relatively low amounts of pesticide use affects the bees dramatically. Bees are just a flying bug. Think of how widespread the use of lawn pesticides are now to keep beautiful lawns, and also the widespread use of pesticides in agriculture. Might not be one particular cause, but a combination of causes adding up.


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## wiscto (Nov 24, 2014)

Honestly. This is a worldwide emergency, because native pollinators have been hit harder over the decades than honey bees. Honey bees are doing a lot of the work that native pollinators like bumble bees used to do. Either we declare this an emergency and take action against pesticides (and whatever else is weakening bees and making them susceptible), or we could be in a huge, huge trouble. Farmers need to take a stand to save themselves at this point. They may face immediate financial losses, but if they don't act they're looking at long term total breakdown. You combine a rough winter with a rough summer, and you might have more than 40% one of these years, and we're already in bad shape because of the decline over the past two decades. I mean we're seeing that bees in New York City being used for roof top garden systems are healthier than bees in the country. So. We know something is wrong, let's do something about it.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

wiscto said:


> ... I mean we're seeing that bees in New York City being used for roof top garden systems are healthier than bees in the country. So. ...


That's interesting. Guess there isn't a lot of pesticide being sprayed in the cities since it's not a place where agriculture typically happens. But it couldn't possibly have anything to do with Roundup and those kinds of products, after all, they've been proven safe... read it right here on the internet so it must be true. (Yup, everything we read on the internet just HAS to be true, especially if it's from a really big company's website, yup.)


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

This article adds a map of where the losses were heaviest: http://blogs.reuters.com/data-dive/2015/05/14/the-usdas-report-on-honey-bees-is-a-buzzkill/

I thought it was interesting to note where the greatest losses were concentrated. Definitely the Big Ag states.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Just speculating, but part of the reason the biggest die offs are in agricultural areas, could be because that is where the biggest populations of bees could be. That is where they are using them. Just a guess on my part as I have not been able to pull up the sites yet. Anybody seeing this being taken into account?


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

I thought about that, too, and didn't see where it had been taken into account. Nor were record-keeping practices considered, or any other variables that could have a bearing. I think they just took the information as it had been reported and created the map from it.

That said, we're a "big ag" state here in Oregon, too -- but in a different way. Our crops are different than what is grown in the Corn Belt. Clover seed, grass seed, wine grapes, specialty vegetables, apples, berries... not corn, wheat, soy. I just thought that particular cluster of hard-hit states was interesting from that perspective, kind of sticks out like a sore thumb -- but is by no means dispositive as to the cause.


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## xbeeman412 (May 10, 2002)

Yup We went from 150+ to 50+ by the end of last September.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Read about the honey bee history in this country, they were imported from Europe.
I find it odd that till recent times bee keepers were not experiencing losses like they are today. 

There are many factors that are cause and effect to the big die offs we are experiencing now.
I say one of the biggest is GMO crops, GMO's are modified to resist pest as a seed. Many of the pest the crop is suppose resist are insects. Honey bees are insects so when ever they visit soy beans in bloom they are in contact with that killer in the plant. When ever they visit corn for the pollen they are in contact with the killer in the plant.

This will not ever change in the USA as long as the rich run the country.
Some country's like France and the Netherlands have been stopping the use of so many GMO crops and some sprayed and dusted pesticides.

 Al


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

alleyyooper said:


> Read about the honey bee history in this country, they were imported from Europe.
> I find it odd that till recent times bee keepers were not experiencing losses like they are today.
> 
> There are many factors that are cause and effect to the big die offs we are experiencing now.
> ...


Al, thank you for acknowledging the 800 pound gorilla in the room!


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## MechanicalBird (Sep 21, 2014)

I live in between massive fields of wheat, cotton, soybeans. All GMO i'm quite sure. My bees have not decreased but increased. I've only had bees for 3 years. Started with 2 hives, up to 10 now. So far no ill effects. I believe it's all my prayers! Thanks to God!


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

I have on my list of things to, old beekeeping books and magazines.

I've bought similar reading materials for other homesteading activities and found them fascinating. Sometimes, they show me easier ways of doing things. And sometimes they give perspective about whether current problems have always been an issues or not. Sometimes they have good ideas for problem solutions too.

Since we just got our first bees this year, I'm very interested in doing this type of research on beekeeping now.


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## buffalocreek (Oct 19, 2007)

Now that the FDA has approved the use of Agent Orange (2, 4-D) along with Roundup for GMO crops, things will probably get much darker for bees and other creatures, including humans.


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## MechanicalBird (Sep 21, 2014)

My neighbor sprays 2 4d and roundup on fence lines all around our property. As well on the cotton, wheat, etc. no ill effects to report except that the wind drift killed my tomatoes. I would have to assume my bees are foraging on cotton flowers but apparently they don't spray when it's flowering.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

2 4 D and round up are herbicide's , not pesticides. Should have no effect on the bees at all.

 Al


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

Yes, except agent orange was to clear vrgitation, and it had terrible lasting effects on people, so I'm not sure I believe that herbicide vs. Pesticide classification reassures me much.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Was it 24d that was having a bad effect on the eggshells of one of the larger birds years ago? I wasn't sure if that was the one or not. (?)


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Agent orange was Dioxin.

http://makeagentorangehistory.org/about-agent-orange/agent-orange-dioxin/

 Al


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## buffalocreek (Oct 19, 2007)

alleyyooper said:


> Agent orange was Dioxin.
> 
> http://makeagentorangehistory.org/about-agent-orange/agent-orange-dioxin/
> 
> Al


Dioxin is part of 2,4-D, often in dangerous substandard grades. As per:


http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/24d-herbicide-zb0z1402zsto.aspx

And the eggshell damaging chemical was DDT


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

buffalocreek said:


> Dioxin is part of 2,4-D, often in dangerous substandard grades. As per:
> 
> 
> http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/24d-herbicide-zb0z1402zsto.aspx
> ...


Thanks


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

alleyyooper said:


> 2 4 D and round up are herbicide's , not pesticides. Should have no effect on the bees at all.
> 
> Al


And besides that 2-4-D is NOT Agent Orange~!!! It was ONE of Many chemicals IN agent orange. So tho keep calling 2-4-D as Agent Orange is not true~!


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

Arabian, you are technically correct. But I read last week that the 24d was studied separately and found to be dangerous with same type problems as agent orange.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

gibbsgirl said:


> Arabian, you are technically correct. But I read last week that the 24d was studied separately and found to be dangerous with same type problems as agent orange.


Well it works great I use it on my fence lines to kill off poison ivy. And this year to kill those pesky dandelions I used Spectracide which as its first ingredient is 7-1/2% 2-4-D LOL


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## buffalocreek (Oct 19, 2007)

Regardless of what exactly was in agent orange, 24D and dioxin should have been banned years ago like it has in many other countries. But since the FDA is in the pocket of Big Chemical, we are all slowly being poisoned.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

" And this year to kill those pesky dandelions I used Spectracide which as its first ingredient is 7-1/2% 2-4-D LOL"



My pesky dandelions and the bees made some lovely honey this Spring. Then those pesky Black Locust trees providing beauty and fabulous lemon aide colored honey. Now all those acres of pesky clover varieties.


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