Bee keepers are blaming colony losses on climate change

For more than a decade, bee keepers have had a hard time keeping colonies alive, and it is a problem they say is still happening, and they blame it largely on climate change.

“We know that that’s affecting them because it’s affecting when flowers are blooming because they’re flowering too early, they’re flowering too late, and it doesn’t match when the bees need that energy. So we’re trying to come up with alternative forage that farmers can plant, that beekeepers can plant, that will help sort of compensate for that difference,” said Lanie Bilodeau, Research Leader at the USDA Bee Laboratory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

during the 1980s, a 10 percent colony loss was considered normal. However, since then, keepers have reported as much as half their hives either dying or disappearing.

Related Stories
Federal officials are signaling a more aggressive push on beef packer concentration, but any direct market impact will depend on what the investigation actually finds.
Pseudorabies case confirmed in Iowa herd prompts heightened biosecurity measures as U.S. swine producers work to prevent spread and protect herd health.
The goal is to start conversations and connect farmers with help when they need it.
DOJ and USDA investigate beef industry concentration, with Big Four packers under scrutiny and a major settlement announcement expected later this week.
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor joins us to discuss the uncertain path for year-round E15 sales and the next steps as the issue heads toward a standalone House vote after it was stripped from the Farm Bill.
Nebraska cattle rancher Joe Van Newkirk joins us to discuss wildfire recovery in Nebraska’s Sandhills athe challenges ranchers face restoring basic infrastructure after the fire.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

ASFMRA’s Shawn Wood joins us to discuss farmland market trends in Arizona and the key factors shaping land values and water-driven decision-making.
March 15 of each year is the application deadline for the Pima Cotton Trust, and March 1 of each year is the application deadline for the Wool Trust. The law mandates trust payments by April 15. More information about these programs is available at www.fas.usda.gov/programs.
Tractor Supply’s Paper Clover Campaign raises millions of dollars each year for 4-H youth programs and scholarships. Local store community marketing manager Lexie Gamble joined Tuesday’s Market Day Report alongside 4-H student Matthew Rochford to discuss the partnership.
The cast of “Farmer Wants a Wife” joined us to share their stories and preview Season 4 of the series, which premieres April 21 on FOX.
Lane Howard and Adam Andrews with the National Corn Growers Association joined us in the studio discuss EPA’s approval of summer E15 sales, ongoing fuel market concerns, and the industry’s push for a long-term biofuels solution for farmers.
Alan Bjerga with the National Milk Producers Federation discusses how stewardship is driving efficiency, profitability, and competitiveness in the dairy industry.