United States Honey Bee Colony Losses 2022-2023:
Preliminary Outcomes from the Bee Knowledgeable Partnership
By: Nathalie Steinhauer, Mikayla Wilson, Dan Aurell, Selina Bruckner, Geoffrey Williams
Be aware: This can be a preliminary evaluation. Pattern sizes and estimates are prone to change. A extra detailed ultimate report is being ready for publication in a peer-reviewed journal at a later date. Earlier years’ peer-reviewed publication might be accessed on the survey data web page: https://beeinformed.org/citizen-science/loss-and-management-survey/.
The Bee Knowledgeable Partnership (http://beeinformed.org) is a non-profit group that strives to enhance honey bee colony well being in america by performing data-driven analysis in collaboration with beekeepers. Its imaginative and prescient is to create an surroundings the place new and established beekeepers might be profitable in sustaining wholesome honey bee colonies. One of many group’s longest working applications, the nationwide Colony Loss and Administration Survey, was initiated with the help of the Apiary Inspectors of America in 2007. Since then, it has monitored colony loss charges of managed honey bees in america (Bruckner et al., 2023), in addition to recognized danger elements and protecting measures related to well being, significantly as they relate to beekeeping administration (Steinhauer, vanEngelsdorp and Saegerman, 2021). The survey is organized in collaboration with the Bee Lab at Auburn College (https://aub.ie/bees) and the Bee Lab at College of Maryland (https://www.umdbeelab.com/).
Determine 1. Seasonal managed honey bee colony loss charges in america throughout years (A), and by operation sort (B-D): yard (managing as much as 50 colonies), sideline (managing 51-500), and industrial (managing >500 colonies) beekeepers. The loss charge was calculated as the entire variety of colonies misplaced divided by the variety of colonies in danger in the course of the season. Colonies in danger have been composed of residing colonies initially of a interval, in addition to new colonies made or acquired, whereas excluding colonies bought or parted with. Annual loss covers the entire interval from one 1 April to the subsequent 1 April (in crimson); Summer season (1 April – 1 October, in yellow); Winter (1 October – 1 April, in blue). Error bars symbolize the 95% confidence interval obtained from a bootstrap resampling of the information (n-out-of-n, 1000 rep).
The survey is a retrospective on-line questionnaire, which depends on voluntary participation of beekeepers throughout the nation in the course of the month of April. The 2023 survey coated the one yr interval between April 2022 and April 2023. Small scale beekeepers (1-50 colonies) and large-scale beekeepers (>50 colonies) took barely completely different variations of the survey (survey query previews might be discovered at https://beeinformed.org/citizen-science/loss-and-management-survey/).
This yr, 3,006 beekeepers from throughout america supplied legitimate survey responses. These beekeepers collectively managed 314,360 colonies on 1 October 2022, representing 12% of the estimated 2.70 million managed honey-producing colonies within the nation in 2022 (USDA NASS, 2023).
Colony loss charges have been calculated because the ratio of the variety of colonies misplaced to the variety of colonies managed over an outlined interval. Loss charges shouldn’t be interpreted as a change in inhabitants dimension, however are greatest interpreted as a mortality charge. Excessive ranges of losses don’t essentially lead to a lower within the complete variety of colonies managed in america as a result of beekeepers can change misplaced colonies all year long.
Throughout Summer season 2022 (1 April 2022 – 1 October 2022), an estimated 24.9% [18.0 – 31.7, 95% bootstrapped confidence interval (CI) (Confidence intervals were obtained from the distribution of bootstrapped estimates for each group of respondents (n-out-of-n method, 1000 rep). Due to the stochastic nature of bootstrap analyses, 95% CI are expected to vary slightly at each computation.)] of managed colonies have been misplaced in america (Fig. 1). This was on par with latest years. The Summer season loss charge was simply 1.1 proportion level (pp) greater than final yr’s estimated Summer season colony loss (23.8% [16.7 – 31.5 CI]), and a pair of.2 pp greater than the typical Summer season loss reported by beekeepers because the Summer season of 2010 (22.6%, 12-year common), when Summer season losses have been first monitored.
Throughout Winter 2022-2023 (1 October 2022 – 1 April 2023), an estimated 37.4% [28.6 – 48.1 CI] of managed colonies in america have been misplaced (Fig. 1). This Winter loss charge was 13.2 pp in extra of the earlier Winter loss charge (24.2% [20.3 – 29.9 CI]), and 9.1 pp greater than the typical Winter loss (28.2%, 15-year common) reported by beekeepers because the begin of the survey in 2008, making 2022-2023 the second highest yr of Winter loss after 2018-2019 (37.7% [26.5 – 50.6 CI]). The proportion of colony loss over the Winter deemed “acceptable” by beekeepers was on common 21.3% in 2022-2023, which was on par with the earlier 9 years throughout which the appropriate loss has hovered round 20%. In 2022-2023, over 60% of the surveyed beekeepers reported Winter loss above this threshold.
Over your complete yr (1 April 2022 – 1 April 2023), beekeepers in america misplaced an estimated 48.2% [40.7 – 56.0 CI] of their managed honey bee colonies (Fig. 1). This was 9.2 pp greater than final yr’s estimated annual loss (39.0% [31.6 – 47.7 CI]), almost as excessive as (2.6 pp decrease than) the best annual loss on report (2020-2021, 50.8% [37.4 – 63.1 CI]), and eight.5 pp greater than the typical loss charge (39.6%, 12-year common) during the last 12 years.
Determine 2. Self-reported causes of colony loss over Summer season 2022 (1 April – 1 October, in yellow) and Winter 2022-23 (1 October – 1 April, in blue), as reported by U.S. beekeepers grouped by operation sort: yard (managing as much as 50 colonies), sideline (managing 51-500), and industrial (managing >500 colonies). Variety of respondents: yard (Summer season: 1,495, Winter: 2,070), sideline (Summer season: 64, Winter: 97) and industrial (Summer season: 35, Winter 41) beekeepers. The arrow represents the proportion of beekeepers having chosen the particular reason for loss in a listing of a number of selections related to the query: “What elements do you assume have been essentially the most distinguished trigger(s) of colony demise in your operation in [season]?”. Errors bars symbolize the 95% confidence interval obtained from a bootstrap resampling of the information (n-out-of-n, 100 rep). Legend: Pesticides (Non-apicultural pesticides); Pollen (Dietary stress (pollen deprivation)); Predators (e.g. bears); Queen points; Hunger (honey/nectar/sugar water); Varroa (varroa mites and related viruses); Climate (adversarial climate (e.g. drought, chilly snap)); DK (Don’t know). Solutions chosen by lower than 10% of respondents in all three teams aren’t proven. Different a number of alternative choices not listed within the determine: Brood ailments (e.g. AFB, EFB), Pure catastrophe (e.g. hurricane, flood), Apicultural remedies (e.g. formic acid, amitraz), Delivery stress (e.g. overheating, truck points). Gear failure (e.g. moisture, air flow), Failure of environmental controls in sheds, Scavenger pests (e.g. small hive beetle, wax moth).
The honey bee business in america might be loosely divided into three teams of beekeepers − yard (managing as much as 50 colonies), sideline (managing 51-500), and industrial (managing >500 colonies), with nearly all of colonies being managed by industrial operations, though they’re a small proportion of beekeepers (1.4% of the surveyed beekeepers, who collectively managed 89.7% of surveyed colonies in 2022-2023).
As in earlier years, yard beekeepers skilled a better annual charge of loss than industrial beekeepers in 2022-2023 (54.6% [52.2 – 57.2 CI] for yard vs 47.9% [39.9 – 56.4 CI] for industrial). This represented a better loss yr than common for each yard beekeepers (5.8 pp greater than their 12-year common of 48.8%) and industrial beekeepers (9.7 pp greater than their 12-year common of 38.2%), nevertheless it appears points occurred at completely different instances of the yr for the 2 teams.
Yard beekeepers once more skilled one in all their highest Summer season losses on report (the final 4 years labeled as the highest 4, three, one and two, respectively, within the 13-year report), with 29.8% Summer season 2022 loss [26.9 – 33.4 CI], this was 10.0 pp over the earlier 12-year common of 19.8%. Industrial beekeepers reported Summer season losses (24.7% [17.6 – 31.7 CI]) on par (1.8 pp over) with their common over the earlier 12 years (22.8%).
Although the loss charges of each teams have been comparable for the Winter season (37.8% [36.0 – 39.4 CI] for yard beekeepers, and 37.6% [28.1 – 49.1 CI] for industrial beekeepers), this represented a excessive loss season for the industrial group (10.7 pp over their 27.0% 15-year common), however a median season for yard beekeepers (0.2 pp decrease than their 38.0% 15-year common). Such excessive Winter loss charges for industrial beekeepers have solely been reported as soon as earlier than on this survey, in 2018-2019.
Probably the most distinguished reason for colony demise reported by beekeepers over the Winter 2022-23 was “varroa” (Varroa destructor, and its related viruses), for all three operation sorts (Fig. 2). Yard beekeepers then tended to quote “adversarial climate” and “hunger” (which means lack of honey, nectar, or sugar water) because the second and third most distinguished causes of Winter colony loss of their operations. Sideline beekeepers equally cited “queen points” and “hunger” as their second most distinguished reason for Winter loss. Industrial beekeepers cited equally “queen points” and “adversarial climate”.
Within the Summer season of 2022, essentially the most distinguished reason for colony demise reported by beekeepers of all operation sorts was “queen points” (Fig. 2). Each yard and sideline beekeepers then listed “varroa” and “adversarial climate”. Industrial beekeepers cited “varroa” as steadily as “queen points” as their most distinguished causes of loss over the Summer season, adopted by “adversarial climate”.
Though the entire variety of honey bee colonies within the nation has remained comparatively secure during the last 20 years (~2.6 million colonies in keeping with the USDA NASS Honey Reviews), loss charges stay excessive, indicating that beekeepers are below substantial strain to get well from losses by creating new colonies yearly. The Bee Knowledgeable Partnership’s annual Colony Loss and Administration Survey provides an necessary report of such loss charges skilled by beekeepers throughout america annually. Till the survey was launched in 2007, there was no rigorous report of loss charges of managed honey bee colonies, making it troublesome to match losses towards historic ranges.
To acquire extra details about Bee Knowledgeable Partnership’s annual nationwide Colony Loss and Administration Survey, go to: https://beeinformed.org/citizen-science/loss-and-management-survey/.
State stage estimates, together with estimates for single-state and multi-state operations, can be printed on https://analysis.beeinformed.org/loss-map/.
Authors
Nathalie Steinhauer – Division of Entomology, College of Maryland, Faculty Park, MD, USA and Bee Knowledgeable Partnership, Faculty Park, MD, USA
Mikayla Wilson – Division of Entomology, College of Maryland, Faculty Park, MD, USA and Bee Knowledgeable Partnership, Faculty Park, MD, USA
Dan Aurell – Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn College, Auburn, AL, USA
Selina Bruckner – Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn College, Auburn, AL, USA
Geoffrey Williams – Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn College, Auburn, AL, USA
Corresponding authors: nsteinha@umd.edu (NS) & williams@auburn.edu (GW)
References cited
Bruckner, S., Wilson, M., Aurell, D., Rennich, Okay., vanEngelsdorp, D., Steinhauer, N. and Williams, G.R. (2023) ‘A nationwide survey of managed honey bee colony losses within the USA: outcomes from the Bee Knowledgeable Partnership for 2017–18, 2018–19, and 2019–20’, Journal of Apicultural Analysis, 62(3), pp. 429–443. Accessible at: https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2022.2158586.
Steinhauer, N., vanEngelsdorp, D. and Saegerman, C. (2021) ‘Prioritizing adjustments in administration practices related to diminished winter honey bee colony losses for US beekeepers’, Science of The Complete Atmosphere, 753, p. 141629. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141629
USDA NASS (2023) Honey (March 2023). ISSN: 1949-1492. Accessible at: https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/fq977t78v?locale=es (Accessed 16 June 2023).
Earlier survey outcomes
Aurell, D., Bruckner, S., Wilson, M., Steinhauer, N., Williams, G., for the Bee Knowledgeable Partnership (2022). United States Honey Bee Colony Losses 2021-2022: Preliminary Outcomes. https://beeinformed.org/2022/07/27/united-states-honey-bee-colony-losses-2021-2022-preliminary-results-from-the-bee-informed-partnership/ (Accessed 16 June 2023).
Steinhauer, N., Aurell, D., Bruckner, S., Wilson, M., Rennich, Okay., vanEngelsdorp, D., Williams, G., for the Bee Knowledgeable Partnership (2021). United States Honey Bee Colony Losses 2020-2021: Preliminary Outcomes. https://beeinformed.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/BIP_2020_21_Losses_Abstract_2021.06.14_FINAL_R1.pdf (Accessed 16 June 2023).
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