Groundbreaking Research Reveals Why Bees Are Increasingly Making Less Honey

Honey production in the United States has faced a puzzling decline since the 1990s, leaving both honey producers and scientists scratching their heads. However, a recent study conducted by researchers at Penn State University has provided valuable insights into the mysterious disappearance of honey.

Leveraging five decades of data from across the country, these scientists embarked on a mission to unravel the factors contributing to this decline and the mechanisms involved. The results of their study, published in the journal Environmental Research, shed light on the complex web of reasons behind this phenomenon.

The researchers tapped into a wealth of information, drawing from various open-source databases, including those maintained by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Their dataset encompassed critical details such as average honey yields per honey bee colony, land usage, herbicide application, climate conditions, weather anomalies, and soil productivity across the continental United States.

In their comprehensive analysis, the research team pinpointed several key factors that appeared to be influential in honey production. Climate conditions and soil productivity, reflecting the soil’s ability to support crops based on its physical, chemical, and biological properties, stood out as major contributors.