Apiculture

A swarm happens when a colony of bees has outgrown their current hive.  A new queen will recruit half the bees in a colony and move out to find a new place.  During swarming, bees are extremely docile, because they aren’t guarding resources or a hive. They are resti...

The Texas Department of Agriculture recently announced that the eastern monarch butterfly population nearly doubled in 2025, according to the latest World Wildlife Fund survey.  The survey shows that the population wintering in central Mexico’s forest occupied 4.42 acres, up fr...

According to NASS, honey production in the United States dipped 4% last year to 134 million pounds.  Nationwide, there were 2.6 million colonies producing honey in 2024, a 3% increase from 2023.  However, yield per colony averaged 51.7 pounds, down 6% y...

A nationwide survey of beekeepers has revealed catastrophic honey bee colony losses across the United States between June 2024 and February 2025.  These alarming losses, which surpass historical trends, could significantly impact U.S. agricu...

Oregon State University's Alexander Butcher talks about his unique journey that led him to research wine grape pests and diseases.     If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@to...

The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday the “murder hornet” has been eradicated from the Evergreen State.   “We’re pleased to announce the eradication of the northern giant hornet in Washington state,” Derek Sandison, WSDA director, said. “I’m incredibly proud of our team...

Washington State University is out with its latest guides to help pollinators across the region.  The free on-line tools share ideas from WSU Extension on conserving bumble bees as well as protecting honeybees from an emerging pest threat.  ...

The Washington State Department of Agriculture is investigating a possible northern giant hornet sighting in the Burley area near Port Orchard.  This invasive species is a known predator of honeybees.  The northern giant hornet is the largest hornet in the world, measuring up to 2 inches long.  This invasive spe...

Honey bees and their keepers have been having quite a bit of trouble keeping the colonies strong and alive. You may remember the news headlines started about 15-16 years ago. Headlines about millions of bee colonies dying off, or in some cases, the bees were just disappearing, with the nation's beekeepers losing 30 to 50% of their colonies every year...

Celebrating the small pollinators and their importance to the Pacific Northwest region with these collection of facts.