Honey bees play a major role in pollinating everything from the flowers in your yards to apples, pears and peaches in orchards across Washington and Idaho.
A new survey from the Apiary Inspectors of America, Auburn University, and Oregon State University shows that the honey bee colonies are declining in Washington and Idaho at an alarming rate.
According to the survey, which covered the period from April 1, 2023, to April 1, 2024, 45 percent of colonies were lost in Washington and 51 percent in Idaho.
A combination of disease, mites, and low pollen count makes it difficult for bees to survive the winter. The survey shows an estimated 30 percent of managed colonies were lost during the summer months of 2023.
Jerry Tate owns Tate’s Honey Farm in Millwood.
“A lot of the local beekeepers get discouraged because they lose their bees and they don’t know why,” said Tate.
Tate said you may notice a difference in your garden.
“You’ll notice that you don’t have as many pollinators coming into your garden. So your production of your garden drops, and the size of your vegetables drops.”
KXLY 4 News Now talked with WSU Researcher Dr. Priya Chakrabarti Basu in March.
She said there is still much to be learned about why the bees’ colonies are dying, but there is something everyone can do to help.
“The least we could do is probably make sure bees have access to diverse forage habitats, plenty of forage in the habitat, and also staggered bloom so that something or the other is constantly blooming in the landscape.” Said Dr. Chakrabarti Basu.
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