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.
New treatments offer hope, but challenges remain for beekeepers.
April 28, 2026 04:33 PM
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Lewis Williamson with HTS Commodities joins us to break down the latest USDA crop progress report, share insights from growers, and discuss how global factors are shaping planting decisions this season.
April 28, 2026 04:25 PM
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Growers are making progress with planting despite dry conditions.
April 28, 2026 03:53 PM
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House lawmakers push toward a Farm Bill vote as debate grows over E15, Prop 12, and input costs, with farmers seeking certainty and policy updates.
April 28, 2026 02:42 PM
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RFD News correspondent Frank McCaffrey spoke with the Texas Shrimp Association at the Port of Brownsville about the future of the USDA’s new Office of Seafood.
April 28, 2026 12:03 PM
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Rotational grazing can improve pasture use and soil health while helping control feed and drought-related risk.
April 28, 2026 07:00 AM
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