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Did you know that if the bees disappeared, it would leave us with minimal food sources at skyrocketing prices? Bee statistics reveal that these creatures may be small, but they’re some of the most essential little workers in the world.
Most Crucial Bee Statistics and Facts to Know
There’s a 2.96 million decline in honey bee colonies over the years in the US.
US beekeepers lost an average of 40% of their honey bee colonies in 2018.
Utah beekeepers lost 49.1% of their colonies over the winter of 2019.
The bee population in 2019 consisted primarily of wild bees.
Honey production declined by 90% in the 2019/2020 bushfire season.
Some bee species in the UK have become entirely extinct.
Canada’s honey production dropped by one-sixth between 2018 and 2019.
What bees do is the first step of a long process that results in food on our tables. Unfortunately, the data over the last couple of years is more than disturbing. Keep scrolling and see it for yourself!
Many people don’t think about the little buzzers in their backyards. They simply don’t realize their tremendous importance not only in the farming industry but in nature in general.
Slovenia proposed May 20th to be official World Bee Day in 2018 in light of what is happening to the bees. It’s celebrated to draw attention to the importance of bees and other pollinators. The day focuses on promoting actions by individuals, society, organizations, and governments for improving the diversity and abundance of their habitats—all while showing support for beekeeping. The date chosen was the birthday of Anton Jansa, a modern apiculture pioneer from Slovenia.
There’s been a 2.96 million decline in honey bee colonies over the years in the US. according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The bee population decline in the US has been happening for a long time. In the 1940s, close to 5.7 million honey bee colonies were managed in the country. However, by 2015, that number had dropped to just 2.74 million. In 1987 and 2006, when Varroa destructor (a parasitic mite that feeds on honey bees) was introduced, there were sharp colony declines. We observed the first reports of colony collapse disorder. US beekeepers lost an average of 40% of their honey bee colonies in 2018. Last year saw an additional 50% die-off of bee colonies, the second highest loss ever.
Bee statistics from 2019 revealed that the European Union produces approximately 230,000 tons of honey yearly from 17.5 million beehives managed by 650,000 beekeepers. Meanwhile, China is the leading producer of honey worldwide. In fact, the European Union isn’t 100% self-sufficient in its honey (60%). China is the leading provider, covering 40% of all the EU’s honey imports, while Ukraine covers 20%.
There are 81 million western honey bee hives globally. Bee decline facts reveal the western honeybee is the most commonly managed pollinator globally. It provides approximately 1.6 million tons of honey yearly. Other managed bee species are bumblebees, the eastern honey bee, stingless bees, and some solitary bees. Still, most pollinators are wild and include more than just bees. Besides about 20,000 species of bees, other pollinators include some species of vertebrates, bats, birds, beetles, wasps, moths, butterflies, and flies.
You can help save the bees. Different charities offer crucial information, sources, and a means to join other concerned people. Other ways you can help include finding your local beekeeping society and volunteering. You can also build bee habitats or raise money for charities to help conduct research and spread the word. Other options include starting a garden and planting the flowers. Or, supporting your local agriculture by shopping at farmer’s markets for produce are other options.
Change Links note: Concerted political action is also needed, especially against pesticides that have been implicated in bee colony collapse and die-off. A recent study has shown that fungicides and pesticides that make their way into the pollen that bees consume can induce colony collapse: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0070182#authcontrib
