Honeybee Colony Collapse Continues, But At A Slower Pace

America's honeybees are still struggling, despite some improvement.

A new U.S. Beekeeping Survey, a joint effort between Auburn University and Oregon State University, found managed honeybee colonies declined by nearly 40% between April 2025 and April of this year. That's down from record losses topping 55% in each of the previous two years, but industry leaders say it's still far too high.

"While it's encouraging to see colony loss rates come down from last year's historic highs, losing nearly 40% of managed colonies in a single year is not a victory—it's a crisis in slow motion," said Steven Coy, President of the American Honey Producers Association.

More than 2,300 beekeepers took part in the nationwide survey.

Winter losses were especially severe, and researchers say parasites, poor forage and rising costs continue to pressure beekeepers.

"Our industry and the crops that depend on it cannot sustain these levels of losses year after year. We need real action now before our industry reaches a point of no return. We must continue to invest in research, support, and solutions that get these numbers down closer to the truly acceptable level of 15-20%," added Coy.

"The importance of this survey is significant to our industry and requires input from all levels of beekeepers,” said Debbie Seib, President of the American Beekeeping Federation. "The results produced from the U.S. Beekeeping Survey are critical in helping us understand the current status of our beekeeping industry. They provide insightful information and overtime help to show trends in our industry."

Click Here to ready the Beekeeping Survey.