DISASTER: In an alarming catastrophe for America, the country’s food supply is under attack as 80% of honeybees mysteriously vanished, meaning the biggest loss of honeybee colonies in US history.
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This threatens the $15 billion agriculture industry and its independence from foreign food imports.
The mass die-off represents the worst bee loss in recorded history, leaving patriotic farmers and beekeepers struggling while government agencies seem unable to solve the crisis.
Likewise, this enormous rate of decline is higher than record reductions seen last year. According to Scott McArt, an associate professor of entomology at Cornell University, it is the “biggest loss of honeybee colonies in US history.”
Beekeepers across the nation are reporting unprecedented colony losses. Commercial operations that typically expect 10-20% winter losses are now facing a devastating reality of over 60% mortality rates.
These staggering figures suggest that honeybee colonies will experience record-breaking losses of up to 70% by 2025, putting American food production at serious risk.
The economic impact extends beyond the $350 million production value of honeybees in 2023.
With bees responsible for pollinating half of all U.S. crops, including apples, berries, and almonds, American families will soon feel the effects at the grocery store as food prices rise and availability decreases.
The latest losses are already valued at $139 million, with honey prices rising by 5% due to decreased production.
Blake Shook, a beekeeper who lost tens of thousands of bees, describes the severity of the situation in stark terms.
“If we lose 80% of our bees every year, the industry cannot survive, which means we cannot pollinate at the scale that we need to produce food in the United States,” Shook declared.
Meanwhile, California’s crucial almond industry is particularly vulnerable, with growers desperately seeking healthy colonies for pollination.
The shortage of bees for this vital American crop is reminiscent of the early days of colony collapse in 2008, but now at a much larger scale.
This threatens almond production and the livelihoods of hardworking American farmers who depend on these crops.
Multiple factors are contributing to this agricultural disaster, including nutrition deficiencies, mite infestations, viral diseases, and pesticide exposure.
Yet, despite the USDA’s claimed investigation of the losses, researchers at Cornell University have had to step in due to staff cuts at the federal agency.
The crisis extends beyond commercial operations to wild pollinators, which are also experiencing range declines and extinctions.
This broader insect crisis threatens the 35% of world food crops dependent on animal pollinators.
Americans may soon face food shortages and higher prices without immediate action, as inflation is already straining household budgets.
Scientists at Washington State University are working to develop methods for controlling varroa mites and improving colony management.
Still, these efforts may be too little, too late for many beekeepers already on the brink of financial ruin.
With pollination demands remaining unchanged, beekeepers face tremendous pressure to maintain colony numbers despite the devastating losses.
