What does the 1.1 million honeybee colony loss mean for ag?

A nationwide survey of beekeepers has revealed catastrophic honeybee colony losses across the U.S., with commercial operations reporting an average loss of 62 percent between June 2024 and February 2025, according to a release from the Honey Bee Health Coalition, a project of the Keystone Policy Center.

The coalition says the losses, which surpass historical trends, could significantly impact U.S. agriculture, particularly crop pollination for almonds, fruits, vegetables and other essential food sources.

The survey

“Early reports of severe colony losses began pouring in last month from beekeepers across the country,” said Danielle Downey, executive director of Project Apis m. “In response, a multi-organizational working group – including Project Apis m., the American Beekeeping Federation and the American Honey Producers Association – quickly mobilized to launch this survey.”

“The goal was to assess the scope and severity of the losses, gather critical management data and help guide research efforts to determine potential causes,” Downey continued.

Administered by Project Apis m., the survey gathered data from 702 beekeepers, covering colony losses, management practices and potential contributing factors. The coalition estimates survey participants account for over 1.835 million colonies – approximately 68 percent of the nation’s bees.

“Initial survey results of colony losses suggest commercial beekeepers may have lost in excess of 60 percent of their bees,” said Zac Browning, a fourth-generation commercial beekeeper and board chairman of Project Apis m. 

“The scale of these losses is completely unsustainable. Honeybees are the backbone of our food system, pollinating the crops which feed our nation. If we continue to see losses at this rate, we simply won’t be able to sustain current food production. The industry must look inward and outward for solutions to chronic bee health failure,” he added.

The results

The coalition says findings from the survey indicate hobbyist beekeepers with one to 49 colonies lost an average of 50 percent of their colonies, sideliner operations with 50 to 500 colonies lost an average of 54 percent of their colonies and commercial beekeepers with more than 500 colonies lost an average of 62 percent – a reversal of typical trends, where commercial beekeepers generally experience lower losses due to their scale and resources.

The results translate to an estimated 1,123,959 colony losses among respondents, says the coalition, which equates to immediate economic losses.

These include direct colony losses, conservatively estimated at $224.8 million, based on a $200 per colony replacement cost, not including labor, feed or treatments. 

For the economic impact – factoring in lost almond pollination income based on the survey results, which was estimated at $181 per colony in 2023 – the lost income exceeds $428 million. The loss rate to U.S. colonies not accounted for in the survey is estimated at an additional $206.4 million in losses, which could equal a total estimated economic loss of $634.7 million.

Additional economic impacts not included in this figure include the loss of honey production and pollination contracts for any crops following almonds, the release said.

To help beekeepers, farmers and policymakers understand the scale of these losses and ongoing research efforts, a free public webinar was held on Feb. 28, hosted by Project Apis m., to share information with stakeholders about progress analyzing the survey data.

Jennifer Strailey is the editorial director for Farm Journal and editor at The Packer. This article was originally published in The Packer on Feb. 21.