U.S. Beekeepers Report ‘Catastrophic’ Winter Losses; Cause Is a Mystery
February 28, 2025 | Source: U.S. Right to Know | by Rebecca Raney
Honey bees may be dying at an unprecedented rate this winter, with more than 1 million colonies lost, according to a survey of U.S. beekeepers by the nonprofit organization Project Apis m. More than a dozen government and academic scientists have mobilized to search for the cause.
Commercial beekeepers reported that, on average, they lost 62 percent of their colonies from June 2024 to February 2025, according to the survey. The organization gathered data from 702 beekeepers nationwide in January and February. Their operations account for more than half of honey bee colonies managed in the United States.
“We moved quickly to gather information,” said Danielle Downey, executive director of Project Apis m. “We don’t really know what’s going on, and a catastrophic loss could happen again.”
Respondents have lost 1.1 million colonies from late summer through winter, according to the data. Those losses account for 41 percent of total colonies in the United States, Downey said during a YouTube livestream Friday that covered survey results.