From June 2024 until March 2025, beekeepers witnessed a severe honeybee die-off in the United States. This was found through a survey by Project Apis m. involving 702 respondents who account for about 1.835 million colonies, roughly 68% of the bees in the U.S. The survey made a horrifying revelation: Commercial beekeepers reported an average loss of 62% of their colonies. This can severely impact the pollination of crops and harm the agriculture industry. Although some honeybee losses are expected, this year’s die-off may be the end of some businesses.
The Death of Honeybee Colonies
Project Apis m. is a nonprofit organization that invests in honeybee research and beekeepers, many of whom are in poor financial situations after the die-off. Based on the survey, the respondents lost about $224.8 million in colonies, not accounting for the feed, treatments, and labor involved. The extent of the die-offs became clear for some beekeepers when they prepared to transport their bees to California to pollinate almonds. Their income cuts only continued, considering the losses from crop pollination fees and a lack of honey production.
“Based on early numbers that are coming in, it’s suggestive that this will be the biggest loss of honeybee colonies in U.S. history,” said Scott McArt, associate professor of entomology and program director for the Dyce Lab for Honey Bee Studies, at Cornell University. Almonds aren’t the only crops that may be affected, since apples, berries, nuts, cocoa, pumpkins, etc., depend on pollination. In fact, about 75% of flowering plants and 35% of food crops in the world depend on animal pollinators, says the USDA. This may lead to production shortages and increased grocery prices.
Researchers at the Bee Research Laboratory from the U.S. Department of Agriculture has collected samples of the dead honeybees, wax, pollen, and honey from deceased and living hives. They are testing for viruses, nutritional issues, and parasites that may have caused the extinction. However, the USDA staff passed the analyses of pesticides to the Cornell Chemical Ecology Core Facility. “The USDA lab has had cuts, so they simply can’t do a quick turnaround for these pesticide results. And at the same time, it’s very expensive for them,” McArt said.
What is Causing the Honeybee Die-Off?
McArt and his team are analyzing 500 samples to identify chemical residues. Based on early indications from testing after a large die-off two years ago, neonicotinoid pesticides (used to control pests on oranges) may be part of the problem, according to the Cornell Chronicle. Although it’s normal for 10–20% of a colony to die over the winter months, “colony collapse disorder” has become more prominent in the last 20 years in the U.S. Now it’s considered common for about half a colony to perish.
Cornell researchers are also looking into other factors that affect colony health, such as extreme weather and climate change. “Something real bad is going on this year,” said McArt to the Guardian. “We have been seeing high losses year after year but if anything it is getting worse, which is troubling. Some places are having devastating losses and there was a shortfall in pollination in some almond orchards this year. Whether these impacts will cascade to other crops remains to be seen, it’s certainly possible.”
Other factors can include a lack of nutrition, poor handling, as well as diseases and pests. “There’s no one single thing affecting honeybees but we are trying to figure out what the most important stresses are right now,” said McArt. “There are suspicions of a lot of things at the moment, you should see my inbox right now. There are theories about a new virus being involved but we have to gather the data. We can’t rule anything out at this stage.”
Honeybee Thievery
Perhaps because of the recent die-outs, honeybees have become a prime target for robbers. In Northern California, for instance, beehive theft revolves around the need for almond pollination. “I often describe it as a perfect crime, because it’s beekeepers stealing from other beekeepers,” explains Sheriff’s Deputy Rowdy Freeman, part of the California Rural Crime Prevention Task Force, to NBC News. “It’s kind of rare that we do recover stolen hives.”
Beekeeper Travor Tauzer had to face honeybee die-offs and thefts. “It feels violating,” said Tauzer, who’s from California. “You work all year, you put all your money, you put all of your effort, all of your passion, into keeping the bees healthy, and then somebody picks up and disappears with them.” To counter this, beekeepers are starting to brand their hives and hide tracking devices in them.
