Honey bee statistics 2026

At a glance

Key honey bee statistics

1. U.S. beekeepers lost an estimated 55.6% of managed colonies from April 2024 to April 2025, the highest annual loss since tracking began in 2010-11. (Source: Apiary Inspectors of America / Auburn University, U.S. Beekeeping Survey 2024-25, preliminary, 2025)
2. Losses eased to 39.9% from April 2025 to April 2026, still near the 15-year average annual loss of 42.3%. (Source: Apiary Inspectors of America, U.S. Beekeeping Survey 2025-26, preliminary, 2026)
3. USDA researchers found that viruses spread by miticide-resistant Varroa mites caused the early-2025 collapses, in which commercial beekeepers lost over 60% of colonies, about 1.7 million colonies and an estimated $600 million. (Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2025)
4. Honey bee pollination adds more than $15 billion in value to U.S. crops each year and supports more than 120 crops. (Source: USDA, 2016)
5. U.S. honey production fell 14% to 115.7 million pounds in 2025, while the average price rose 27% to $3.05 per pound. (Source: USDA NASS, Honey report, 2026)
6. 788 people died from hornet, wasp and bee stings in the U.S. from 2011 to 2021, an average of 72 a year; 84% were male. (Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, 2023)
7. Bee stings send an estimated 162,080 Americans to the emergency department each year. (Source: Langley et al., CDC, Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2014; 2001–2010 data)
8. 64.8% of 298 foraging honey bees sampled in San Diego County carried African mitochondrial DNA; among sampled hives, 70% of feral hives (7 of 10) carried it, versus 13% of managed hives (3 of 24). (Source: Kono & Kohn, UC San Diego, PLOS ONE, 2015)
9. Southern California colonies headed by locally raised hybrid queens had about 68% fewer Varroa mites than colonies headed by commercial queens, in a 236-colony UC Riverside study. (Source: Chong-Echavez & Baer, UC Riverside, Scientific Reports, 2026)
10. An established colony may hold up to 100 pounds of honey; if killed in a wall, the honey can ferment and seep through drywall. (Source: UC Statewide IPM Program, Pest Notes 74159)
11. About 1,600 of the roughly 4,000 bee species known in the U.S. have been recorded in California. (Source: UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, citing Frankie, Thorp et al., California Agriculture)

Colony health

U.S. honey bee colony losses

Two data sets track colony health. The U.S. Beekeeping Survey (run by the Apiary Inspectors of America with Auburn University, formerly the Bee Informed Partnership) measures the share of colonies beekeepers lose over a year. USDA NASS counts colonies on operations with five or more hives each quarter.

1. State-level annual colony losses in 2024-25 ranged from 34.3% to 90.5%. (Source: Auburn University, 2025)
2. The 2024-25 survey covered 2,453 beekeepers managing 219,097 colonies, about 8.4% of U.S. honey-producing colonies. (Source: Auburn University, 2025)
3. Losses of 55.1% in 2023-24 and 55.6% in 2024-25 were back-to-back records. (Source: Apiary Inspectors of America, 2026)
4. In 2025-26, summer loss was 23.3% and winter loss was 30.3%; the 18-year average winter loss (since 2007-08) is 29.9%. (Source: Apiary Inspectors of America, 2026)
5. Beekeepers consider a 21.1% winter loss acceptable, and 48% of beekeepers lost more than that in winter 2025-26. (Source: Apiary Inspectors of America, 2026)
6. Backyard beekeepers (50 or fewer colonies) lost 54.8% of colonies in 2025-26, versus 38.7% for commercial operations with more than 500 colonies. (Source: Apiary Inspectors of America, 2026)
7. The 2025-26 survey drew 2,327 valid respondents managing 318,493 colonies, 13.2% of an estimated 2.41 million managed U.S. colonies. (Source: Apiary Inspectors of America, 2026)
8. The American Honey Producers Association president called losses of nearly 40% "a crisis in slow motion." (Source: Auburn University, 2026)
9. A 2025 survey of 234 beekeepers led by Project Apis m. and beekeeper groups, with pesticide testing by Cornell, found average recent losses upward of 60%, with many losing 70% to 100% and combined financial losses of at least $139 million. (Source: Cornell Chronicle, 2025)
10. There were 2.81 million honey bee colonies on U.S. operations with five or more colonies on January 1, 2026, up 6% from 2025. (Source: USDA NASS, Honey Bee Colonies, 2026)
11. U.S. operations lost 454,890 colonies, 16%, from January to March 2026. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
12. Varroa mites were the top stressor reported in every quarter of 2025 and affected 21.8% of colonies in January–March 2026. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
13. Other stressors in January–March 2026: other pests and parasites 5.6% of colonies, diseases 4.8%, pesticides 6.4%, other causes 3.5% and unknown causes 4.6%. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
14. 93,770 U.S. colonies showed Colony Collapse Disorder symptoms in January–March 2026, down 18% from 114,680 a year earlier. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
15. California had 885,000 colonies on January 1, 2026; from January to March 2026 it lost 220,000 colonies, 18% of the quarter's maximum of 1.25 million (swelled by almond pollination). (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)

Why colony counts can rise while losses run near 40–55%: beekeepers replace lost colonies by splitting surviving hives and buying packages and queens, so the January count reflects rebuilding as much as survival.

Why bees matter

Pollination value & California almonds

1. USDA ARS puts the value of pollination at more than $20 billion a year in the U.S. and $387 billion globally, and says honey bees pollinate over one-third of U.S. produce. (Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2025)
2. In 2009, insect pollination of directly dependent U.S. crops was worth $15.12 billion, of which $11.68 billion was attributed to honey bees. (Source: Calderone, Cornell University, PLOS ONE, 2012)
3. Honey bees added another $5.39 billion in 2009 through indirectly dependent crops grown from insect-pollinated seed, such as hay, carrots and onions. (Source: Calderone, Cornell University, PLOS ONE, 2012)
4. A Cornell study of 58 crops estimated insect pollinators contributed $29 billion to U.S. farm income in 2010, including $12.4 billion from honey bees on directly dependent crops. (Source: Cornell Chronicle, 2012)
5. Total paid pollination in Arizona, California and Hawaii was worth $364 million in 2025, up 3%; almonds accounted for $340.7 million. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
6. Almond growers paid for 1,035,800 acres of pollination in 2025, at $310 per acre. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
7. The almond pollination fee was $167 per colony in 2016 and $171 in 2017. (Source: USDA NASS, Cost of Pollination, 2017)
8. U.S. producers spent more than $400 million on pollination services in 2024; almonds generated $325.8 million, about 81%, at roughly $181 per colony versus $66 for all other crops. (Source: USDA Economic Research Service, 2025)
9. Paid pollination acreage fell more than 7% to 1.728 million acres in 2024. (Source: USDA ERS, 2025)
10. Beekeepers have earned more from pollination than from honey since 2022. (Source: USDA ERS, 2025)
11. U.S. beekeepers earned $225 million in pollination income in 2025, down 1% from 2024. (Source: USDA NASS, Honey report, 2026)
12. California's roughly 1.4 million acres of almonds needed an estimated 2.7 million colonies at the 2024 bloom, about 99% of all U.S. colonies counted on January 1, 2024. (Source: University of Illinois farmdoc daily, 2025, citing USDA NASS)
13. Each acre of almonds typically needs two honey bee colonies; estimated 2025 demand was 2.8 million colonies. (Source: University of Illinois farmdoc daily, 2025)
14. Cornell estimates about 70% of the nation's managed honey bees are trucked to California each year for almond bloom. (Source: Cornell Chronicle, 2025)
15. On January 1, 2024, 37% of all U.S. honey bee colonies were located in California. (Source: University of Illinois farmdoc daily, 2025, citing USDA NASS)
16. Almonds accounted for 61% of all U.S. colony rentals (2016 data). (Source: USDA ERS, Amber Waves, 2018)
17. UC Davis researchers found honey bees pollinate almonds more effectively when wild bees and blue orchard bees forage alongside them. (Source: Brittain et al., Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2013, via UC ANR)

Sources measure the almond draw differently: about 99% of colonies counted on Jan. 1, 2024 (Univ. of Illinois), about 70% of managed bees (Cornell), and 61% of rentals (USDA ERS, 2016). The gap reflects different denominators and years, not a contradiction.

The hive's harvest

Honey production & prices

1. 2.41 million U.S. colonies produced honey in 2025, down 7%. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
2. Yield averaged 48.0 pounds per colony in 2025, down from 51.7 pounds in 2024. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
3. U.S. honey production was worth $352.9 million in 2025, up from $323.9 million in 2024. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
4. Producers held 34.8 million pounds of honey in stock on December 15, 2025, down 15%. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
5. Honey sold at retail averaged $7.15 per pound in 2025, versus $2.45 through co-ops and private channels. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
6. Beekeepers paid an average of $22 for a queen, $110 for a package of bees and $130 for a nucleus colony in 2025. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
7. California produced 11.0 million pounds of honey in 2025 from 315,000 colonies, at 35 pounds per colony and $2.57 per pound, second only to North Dakota among states NASS reports individually. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026; ranking derived from the state table)
8. California's honey crop was worth $28.3 million in 2025, up from $26.1 million in 2024. (Source: USDA NASS, 2026)
9. California produced 13.3 million pounds in 2024 from 310,000 colonies at 43 pounds per colony. (Source: USDA NASS Pacific Region, 2025)
10. Imports supplied 78% of the U.S. honey supply in 2025, and per capita consumption hit a record 2.0 pounds in 2024. (Source: USDA ERS, 2026)
11. U.S. honey imports rose 73% over 10 years to 433 million pounds in 2020, up from 54% of available honey in 2010 to 70%. (Source: USDA ERS, 2021)

Safety

Bee & wasp stings and safety

1. 788 Americans died from hornet, wasp and bee stings from 2011 to 2021, an average of 72 per year. (Source: CDC NCHS, MMWR QuickStats, 2023)
2. Annual sting deaths ranged from 59 in 2012 to 89 in 2017. (Source: CDC NCHS, 2023)
3. 84% of sting deaths from 2011 to 2021 were male; 83.3% from 2018 to 2023. (Source: CDC NCHS, 2023; Langley & Kearney, 2025)
4. From 2000 to 2017 there were 1,109 sting deaths, an average of 62 a year, with a low of 43 in 2001. (Source: CDC NCHS, MMWR QuickStats, 2019)
5. Bee stings caused an estimated 162,080 emergency department visits a year, 16.0% of all non-dog bite and sting visits; wasps caused 26,939 and hornets 3,774. (Source: Langley et al., CDC, Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2014; 2001–2010 data)
6. Life-threatening allergic reactions to insect venom occur in 0.4% to 0.8% of children and 3% of adults. (Source: American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology)
7. People who have had an allergic reaction to a sting have a 60% chance of a similar or worse reaction if stung again. (Source: ACAAI)
8. Venom immunotherapy gives up to 98% protection against future reactions. (Source: ACAAI)
9. Worldwide, up to 50% of people who die from a sting reaction had no documented history of a previous systemic reaction. (Source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, citing the WHO White Book on Allergy, 2011)
10. The AAAAI advises carrying two epinephrine devices because a second dose is needed about one-third of the time. (Source: AAAAI)
11. A 2025 study of a U.S. military-health population found anaphylaxis from bee, wasp and hornet venom in 0.083% of people. (Source: McMurray et al., Frontiers in Allergy, 2025)
12. Honey bee venom's estimated lethal dose (LD50) is 8.6 stings per pound of body weight, meaning a healthy adult would need more than 1,000 stings; children are at greater risk. (Source: UC Statewide IPM Program, Pest Notes 7449, 2011)
13. Texas A&M research puts the LD50 at 18–22 stings per kilogram, about 1,200 stings for a 150-pound adult, and documents at least 18 U.S. deaths from massive stinging and at least 1,000 in Mexico since 1985. (Source: Pankiw, Journal of Medical Entomology, 2009)
14. University of Arizona extension advises immediate medical attention after more than 15 stings. (Source: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension)
15. California public health guidance says to remove a stinger within 20 seconds by scraping it out with a fingernail or the edge of a credit card. (Source: California Department of Public Health)
16. NIOSH tells outdoor workers attacked by multiple stinging insects to run to shelter and not to jump into water. (Source: CDC NIOSH, Pub. 2010-117)

Death counts differ by period because each source covers a different span: 62 a year (2000–2017), 72 a year (2011–2021) and 83 a year (2018–2023). The trend is upward.

Southern California

Africanized honey bees in California

1. North of San Diego County, 8.7% of 265 bees sampled at 91 California sites carried African mitochondria. (Source: Kono & Kohn, UC San Diego, PLOS ONE, 2015)
2. UC San Diego reported that more than 60% of foraging honey bees in San Diego County have Africanized genetic traits. (Source: UC San Diego News, 2015)
3. Genomic analysis found San Diego feral bees average 38% African nuclear ancestry, compared with 76%–89% in Central America and Mexico. (Source: Zárate et al., UC San Diego, Ecology and Evolution, 2022)
4. Southern California hybrid bees carry ancestry from at least four lineages: African, Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Western European. (Source: UC Riverside, 2026)
5. UC IPM flags Africanized honey bees as a concern in all Southern California counties. (Source: UC Statewide IPM Program, Pest Notes 74159)
6. European honey bees usually defend a nest with no more than 10–20 bees; African bees may send hundreds. (Source: University of Florida IFAS, EDIS IN790)
7. European colonies commonly swarm one to three times a year; African colonies may swarm more than 10 times. (Source: University of Florida IFAS)
8. California's public health department says Africanized bees swarm 20 to 40 times more often than European bees. (Source: California Department of Public Health)
9. Africanized bees will pursue a person or animal for up to a quarter of a mile. (Source: CDPH)
10. Vibration or noise such as a lawn mower or chain saw within 100 feet of an Africanized colony often sets off an attack. (Source: CDPH)
11. An Africanized bee's sting is no more toxic than a European bee's; the danger is in numbers, with ten or more times as many stings when a colony is disturbed. (Source: CDPH)
12. At a Texas wildlife refuge, the bee population shifted from mostly European to mostly Africanized within three years, averaging 69% African-queened colonies in 1997–2001. (Source: USDA ARS, 2004)
13. Evenly distributed rainfall over 55 inches a year is almost a complete barrier to Africanized bee spread. (Source: USDA ARS, 2004)
14. By August 2006, Africanized bees had been found in 163 of Texas's 254 counties. (Source: Texas Apiary Inspection Service, Texas A&M)
15. UC Riverside records a September 1999 death in Long Beach: an 83-year-old man stung about 50 times by Africanized bees. (Source: UC Riverside Department of Entomology)

Measures of “Africanized” differ. The 64.8% and 70% figures are maternal (mitochondrial) lineage; the 38% figure is the average African share of the whole genome. Both describe the same reality: Southern California’s wild bees are hybrids, and they should be handled by experienced removers. Read more in Africanized bees in Southern California.

Swarms

Swarms & bees in homes

Much of what science knows about how swarms pick a home comes from Cornell’s Thomas Seeley. His numbers explain why bees so often move into walls, eaves, chimneys and water-meter boxes: those cavities match what scouts look for.

How swarms choose a home

1. Natural honey bee nests ranged from 12 to 443 liters, with a most common size of about 35 liters; 80% measured 20 to 100 liters. (Source: Seeley, Cornell, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 1977)
2. Of 39 wild nests in hollow trees, most were 30 to 60 liters with small entrances of 10 to 40 cm² at the bottom. (Source: Seeley & Morse, Cornell, Insectes Sociaux, 1976)
3. UC IPM says honey bees need a cavity of at least 4 gallons but prefer about 9 gallons, with an entrance at least 9 feet off the ground. (Source: UC Statewide IPM Program, Pest Notes 74159)
4. A scout's inspection of a possible nest site takes about 40 minutes. (Source: Seeley, Cornell, 1977)
5. House hunting starts with several hundred scouts, but only 2.0%–4.1% of a swarm (73 to 149 bees) danced for nest sites in Cornell's trials. (Source: Seeley & Buhrman, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 1999)
6. The swarm commits once about 15 or more scouts are at one site; one Cornell swarm's decision took 16 hours. (Source: Cornell Chronicle, 2006)
7. Scouts search in every direction up to several kilometers away, at first advertising a dozen or more sites; chosen sites averaged about 1.7–2.2 km from the swarm. (Source: Seeley & Buhrman, 1999)
8. In a Cornell flight study, a typical swarm weighed about 1,400 g (about 11,000 bees), lifted off in under 60 seconds, and was nearly all inside its new nest within 30 minutes. (Source: Seeley, Morse & Visscher, Psyche, 1979)

Swarm size, timing and survival

1. A swarm can contain 5,000 to 20,000 bees and usually clusters within 100 to 200 yards of the original hive. (Source: UC IPM, Pest Notes 74159)
2. UC Cooperative Extension Ventura County puts swarm size at 5,000 to 30,000 bees, resting from one to several days. (Source: UCCE Ventura County, 2025)
3. When a colony swarms, the old queen leaves with about two-thirds of the adult workers. (Source: University of Florida IFAS, EDIS IN1005, 2025)
4. A colony can grow to about 60,000 workers, and primary swarms may contain up to 25,000 bees plus the queen. (Source: Penn State Extension, Beekeeping Basics)
5. Swarm clusters usually stay in place for an hour to a few days. (Source: Iowa State University Extension)
6. In forests around Ithaca, NY, 97% of wild colonies survive summer, but only 23% of first-year colonies survive winter, versus 84% of established colonies. (Source: Seeley, Cornell, Apidologie, 2017)
7. Established wild colonies live 5–6 years on average, and 87% replace their queen each summer, probably by swarming. (Source: Seeley, Apidologie, 2017)
8. A Cornell colony foraged a median 1.7 km from its nest, with 95% of foraging within 6.0 km. (Source: Visscher & Seeley, Ecology, 1982)
9. Wild colony densities worldwide range from 0.1 to 24.2 per km², averaging 1.4 per km² in Northern America. (Source: Visick & Ratnieks, Ecology and Evolution, 2023)

When bees move into a house

1. An established colony may hold up to 100 pounds of honey; if the colony is killed in place, honey can ferment, burst the cappings and seep through drywall. (Source: UC IPM, Pest Notes 74159)
2. A colony in a home wall can hold more than 100 pounds of honey and tens of thousands of bees, and leftover comb or honey can attract future swarms. (Source: Penn State, 2022)
3. Comb left behind attracts beetles, ants, cockroaches and flies, and the empty cavity draws new swarms. (Source: University of Florida IFAS, EDIS IN1297)
4. Honey and wax left in a wall void can ruin walls and ceilings if not removed. (Source: Iowa State University Extension, 2016)
5. If a colony's entrance is sealed, the bees die in place over the next week or two. (Source: UC IPM, Pest Notes 74159)

Sources differ on swarm size (5,000–20,000 per UC IPM; up to 25,000 per Penn State; 5,000–30,000 per UCCE Ventura) and on the share of workers that leave (about two-thirds per UF/IFAS and Cornell; about half per Penn State). Penn State’s April–June swarm season is for Pennsylvania; in Southern California swarming starts earlier and colonies stay active year-round.

Beyond the honey bee

Bee diversity & California beekeeping rules

1. There are over 20,000 known bee species worldwide, and about 4,000 are native to the U.S. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey; Xerces Society, 2012)
2. About 1,600 of those roughly 4,000 species have been recorded in California. (Source: UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, citing Frankie, Thorp et al., California Agriculture)
3. There are about 50 species of North American bumble bees. (Source: USDA Forest Service, Bee Basics, 2011)
4. Honey bees are not native to North America; colonists brought them to what is now Virginia in 1622. (Source: UC ANR, 2021; University of Florida IFAS, 2025)
5. Honey bees were first successfully brought to California in March 1853 by Christopher A. Shelton, near San Jose. (Source: California Office of Historic Preservation)
6. By 1858 there were at least 150 colonies descended from Shelton's hive. (Source: UC ANR, 2013)
7. California law requires every beekeeper to register by January 1 each year, and within 30 days of acquiring bees or moving them into the state. (Source: CDFA, 2026 Apiary Registration; Food & Agricultural Code §29040–29045)
8. Since March 20, 2025, California apiary registration costs $10 for 1–9 colonies, $100 for mid-size apiaries and $250 for the largest operations and brokers. (Source: CDFA, 3 CCR §2951, 2025)
9. Fees are late on February 1, with a penalty of half the amount due; registration is required in each county where apiaries are kept. (Source: CDFA, 2026)
10. Beekeepers must update hive locations within 72 hours of moving them; location data is kept confidential. (Source: BeeWhere / CDFA, 2026)
11. California had 6,077 apiary registrants in 2022: 4,291 with 1–9 colonies, 514 with 10–50 and 1,272 with more than 50. (Source: CDFA, Initial Statement of Reasons, 2023)

CDFA documents use slightly different colony tiers for the middle and top fee brackets (10–49 and 50+ in the regulation; 10–50 and 51+ in the 2026 flyer).

University research

What the research says: Harvard vs. Cornell vs. UC Riverside

Three of the most-cited university research programs reach different conclusions about why honey bees are struggling. Harvard’s best-known studies point to pesticides; Cornell’s and UC Riverside’s point first to Varroa mites and the viruses they spread. All three agree bees are under pressure from more than one direction.

Harvard (T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

1. In a 2010 Massachusetts field trial, 15 of 16 hives (94%) fed imidacloprid in corn syrup were dead 23 weeks after dosing; 1 of 4 control hives also died. (Source: Lu, Warchol & Callahan, Bulletin of Insectology, 2012)
2. In a follow-up, bees abandoned 6 of 12 colonies (50%) fed sub-lethal imidacloprid or clothianidin over winter 2012-13, compared with 1 of 6 control colonies lost. (Source: Lu, Warchol & Callahan, Bulletin of Insectology, 2014)
3. More than 70% of 219 pollen and 53 honey samples from 62 Massachusetts hives contained at least one of 8 neonicotinoids tested. (Source: Lu et al., Environmental Chemistry, 2015, via Harvard Gazette)
4. Caveat: pesticide maker Bayer called the 2014 doses more than 10 times what bees would normally encounter; independent critics also questioned the small sample sizes. Bayer has a commercial interest in these products. (Source: Bayer CropScience statement, 2014; commentaries in IFLScience and Biofortified)
5. A contrasting USDA-coauthored field study found imidacloprid at a field-realistic 5 µg/kg had negligible effects on colony health, while 20 and 100 µg/kg reduced overwintering success. (Source: Dively et al., University of Maryland / USDA ARS, PLOS ONE, 2015)

Cornell University

1. Among 309 New York colonies, 90% were infested with Varroa, 78% of operations were above the treatment threshold, and deformed wing virus was found in 96% of colonies. (Source: Cornell Chronicle, 2017)
2. Suburban New York colonies weighed 40% less and had 19% fewer bees than colonies in natural, conventional-farm or organic-farm landscapes. (Source: Cornell Chronicle, 2017)
3. Beebread from 120 colonies at 30 apple orchards showed chronic pesticide risk above regulatory concern levels in 73% of colonies and acute risk in 17%; over 60% of the risk came from pesticides not sprayed during bloom. (Source: McArt et al., Scientific Reports, 2017)
4. Wax from 72 New York colonies held up to 34 fungicides, 33 insecticides and 22 herbicides, about 18 residues per sample on average. (Source: Bischoff, Baert & McArt, Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 2023)
5. The neonicotinoid thiamethoxam was present in 39% of New York honey bee colonies in 2021. (Source: Cornell Pollinator Network)
6. Untreated wild colonies in the Arnot Forest persisted alongside Varroa from 2002 to 2005, and their mite populations did not surge in late summer as they do in managed hives. (Source: Seeley, Apidologie, 2007)
7. Over two years, colonies in small 42-liter hives allowed to swarm had lower Varroa infestation, less disease and better survival than colonies in large hives up to 168 liters. (Source: Loftus, Smith & Seeley, PLOS ONE, 2016)
8. Museum specimens from 1977 and 2010 show the Arnot population passed through a genetic bottleneck after Varroa arrived, then rebounded with signs of adaptation. (Source: Mikheyev, Seeley et al., Nature Communications, 2015)
9. Mites were blamed for roughly 70% of colony losses in Cornell's 2012 pollination analysis. (Source: Cornell Chronicle, 2012)

UC Riverside (Department of Entomology)

1. Among 236 Southern California colonies monitored from 2019 to 2022, those headed by local hybrid queens had about 68% fewer Varroa mites than those headed by commercial queens. (Source: Chong-Echavez & Baer, Scientific Reports, 2026)
2. Hybrid-queen colonies were more than five times less likely to reach the mite level that calls for chemical treatment. (Source: Chong-Echavez & Baer, Scientific Reports, 2026)
3. In a survey of Southern California beekeepers, 35.3% kept only commercial stock, 29.4% only local Californian stock and 35.3% a mix. (Source: Chong-Echavez et al., Journal of Economic Entomology, 2026)
4. A machine-learning screen of more than 50 million compounds predicted about 130 bee repellents; all seven tested kept bees off comb without harming them. (Source: UC Riverside, eLife, 2026)
5. In tunnel studies on imidacloprid-treated citrus, nectar carried under 10 ng/mL, below the no-observed-effect level, while stored comb nectar was about three times higher. (Source: Byrne et al., UC Riverside, Pest Management Science, 2014; study co-authored with Bayer CropScience)

What this means for Southern California: Cornell’s wild-colony work and UC Riverside’s hybrid-queen trial both suggest that locally adapted, untreated colonies cope with Varroa better than imported stock. That is a scientific case for relocating feral colonies alive rather than destroying them.

Questions

Honey bee statistics FAQ

How this page was made

Methodology & sources

Every statistic on this page was traced to a primary source (a government data release, a university research or extension publication, or a peer-reviewed paper) and checked against the original document in October 2026. Stat-roundup blogs and AI-generated lists were excluded. Data years are given where they differ from publication years. USDA NASS revises earlier figures in later releases; this page uses the latest revision available. Where reputable sources disagree, both figures are shown and the difference is explained.

• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
• USDA Agricultural Research Service
• USDA Economic Research Service
• USDA Forest Service
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Apiary Inspectors of America
• Auburn University
• University of Maryland / Bee Informed Partnership
• CDC National Center for Health Statistics
• CDC NIOSH
• Environmental Health Insights
• Wilderness & Environmental Medicine
• American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
• Frontiers in Allergy
• Journal of Medical Entomology (Texas A&M)
• Texas Apiary Inspection Service
• California Department of Public Health
• California Department of Food and Agriculture
• California Office of Historic Preservation
• UC Statewide IPM Program
• UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
• UC Cooperative Extension, Ventura County
• UC Riverside Department of Entomology
• UC Riverside Center for Invasive Species Research
• UC San Diego
• Cornell University
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Penn State Extension
• Iowa State University Extension
• University of Florida IFAS Extension
• University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
• University of Illinois farmdoc daily
• Xerces Society
• Bulletin of Insectology
• PLOS ONE
• Scientific Reports
• Apidologie
• Ecology and Evolution
• Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
• Insectes Sociaux
• Psyche
• Ecology
• Journal of Economic Entomology
• Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
• Nature Communications
• Pest Management Science
• Proceedings of the Royal Society B
• Bayer CropScience (industry statement)