clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

The best and worst states to be a honeybee

Honeybees in the United States are still dying off at unsustainable rates. Last year, we saw the second-highest losses in managed colonies since 2010:

Total Honeybee Colony Loss.

(BeeInformed.org)

Total honeybee colony loss, 2006–2015. (BeeInformed.org)

Oregon state saw the lowest levels of loss, while Oklahoma saw the highest:

Annual colony loss by U.S. State

Annual colony loss by US state. (BeeInformed.org)

Colony collapse disorder is no longer the chief threat to managed honeybee colonies during the winter.

But losses during the spring and summer were still extremely high, and although experts still aren't sure exactly why, parasites, pesticides, and poor nutrition are all plausible culprits.