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
Rising ethanol stocks and softer gasoline demand bear watching, but stronger blending activity and exports offered some support.
Rising poultry supply is pressuring prices despite steady demand.
As part of this effort, USDA will establish a new National Food Safety Center (NFSC) in Urbandale, Iowa, which will serve as the primary hub for FSIS administrative, technical, and support operations.
Brazil’s ethanol growth could shift the corn trade.
Kansas row crop farmer Brad Keeler joins us to discuss drought conditions, planting decisions, input costs, and overall farmer sentiment in his region.
AFBF Economist Danny Munch joined us to discuss snowpack levels in the Colorado River Basin, water supply concerns, and the potential impact on agricultural production.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler breaks down the Grocery Guarantee Program, its goals for expanding farmer access to capital, and its potential impact on food production and prices.
The USDA’s upcoming reports will drop on Tuesday afternoon, giving the trade real results on acreage shifts, drought concerns, and ongoing trade tensions, adding uncertainty for U.S. farmers.
Firefighters are making good progress on two major wildfires burning across parts of Nebraska.
At the White House’s “Celebration of Agriculture,” the Trump Administration announced a slate of policies to support farmers and ranchers, including biofuel mandates, SBA loan programs, and new labeling policies to boost domestic markets for ag products.
Corn Refiners Association VP Kristy Goodfellow offered insight into the Feeding the Economy Report’s key findings, showing the breadth of agriculture’s economic impact and the challenges ahead.
RealAg Radio’s Shaun Haney discusses Canada’s new soil health strategy, its implications for producers, and its potential to support sustainable agriculture in Canada compared to USDA funding for conservation.