Honeybee Deaths Reach Record Levels in the U.S.
The beekeeping industry is in crisis due to a significant decline in honeybee colonies. Between June 2024 and January 2025, 62 percent of commercial honeybee colonies collapsed, potentially being "the biggest loss of honeybee colonies in U.S. history," according to Scott McArt, a Cornell University associate professor of entomology.
Honeybees play a crucial role in the ecosystem and food production, pollinating around 75 percent of the plants grown in the U.S., which contributes to approximately $18 billion worth of crops. As Blake Shook, a Texas beekeeper and founder of The Bee Supply, noted, if present trends continue, the food industry could collapse because "we cannot pollinate at the scale that we need to produce food in the United States."
"we cannot pollinate at the scale that we need to produce food in the United States"
The cause of the honeybee die-off remains a concern, with scientists working to understand the factors behind this rapid decline. Honeybees are among the most efficient pollinators, and their loss could have severe implications for the ecosystem and food production.
Author's summary: Honeybee deaths reached record levels in the U.S., threatening food production.