| | | >> Well, no wonder you need tons of scientists and academics scratching their heads wondering where the bees have gone.<<
They know exactly, no one is scratching their heads. There is no mystery.
Between January 2015 and June 2022, the US lost 11.4 million honey bee colonies and added 11.1 million. [2]
Annual loss rates for honey bees have improved compared to previous decades, such as the 1980s when rates were as high as 9% nationwide. The highest loss rate over the past decade has been 4%, indicating a concerning but manageable decline for those who rely on bees for crop pollination.
US bee populations are declining due to parasites, pesticides, habitat loss, disease, and more. These losses have critical implications for food production and ecosystem health. In spring 2022, more than 40% of all colonies were afflicted with varroa mites, a parasite that targets bees.
This combination of issues, which can lead bee colonies to collapse quickly, has been called Colony Collapse Disorder.
Despite this disorder, commercial honey bee populations have increased by 10% since 2006, thanks in part to the close monitoring of colony health by the CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency. |
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