The Washington Post's bee expert Andrew Van Dam discusses the surprising resurgence of America's honeybee population after facing colony collapse disorder. Topics include the decline in bug populations, Texas beekeepers' success, tax breaks impact on bee colonies, almond pollination importance, challenges faced by bees, and advocating for preserving habitat for native pollinators.
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Quick takeaways
The honeybee population in the US has significantly rebounded, signaling a positive trend after past declines.
Texas leads in beekeeping due to tax exemptions, fostering a strong beekeeping community and legislative support.
Deep dives
Rediscovering America's Honeybee Population
Recent data analysis by agricultural census surprises by revealing a significant increase in the honeybee population in the United States, contrary to fears of colony collapse. Over the past 15 years, honeybees have emerged as the fastest-growing segment of livestock, signaling a positive trend in their numbers. This growth marks a remarkable shift from the alarming bee losses observed due to Colony Collapse Disorder in 2006, where beekeepers reported significant declines and struggled financially.
The Texas Beekeeping Boom
Texas has witnessed a striking surge in beekeeping operations, leading the country in the number of beekeeping farms. The state's beekeeping industry has experienced exponential growth, driven by the introduction of tax exemptions that support beekeeping as an essential agricultural activity. By extending tax benefits to beekeepers, Texas has cultivated a thriving beekeeping community, fostering a strong partnership between beekeepers and legislators to promote the importance of bees in agriculture.
Challenges and Solutions in Beekeeping
While the beekeeping industry has shown resilience in combating colony collapse through intensive management practices and government support, challenges such as pesticides, diseases, and climate change persist. Initiatives aligning pesticide application timing with bee activity aim to reduce bee mortality, emphasizing the need for responsible agricultural practices. Beyond honeybees, native pollinators face threats, highlighting the importance of creating habitat diversity with native plants to support overall pollinator populations.
Millions of bees died because of colony collapse disorder over the past few decades, but America’s honeybee population has now rocketed to an all-time high. The Washington Post's Andrew Van Dam explains how.
This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Rob Byers with help from Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King.