'Could become a death spiral': scientists discover what's driving record die-offs of US honeybees

[turbinetree]

Phoebe Weston
Tue 8 Jul 2025 06.00 EDT
Last modified on Tue 8 Jul 2025 06.02 EDT

Experts scrambling to understand losses in hives across the country are finally identifying the culprits. And the damage to farmed bees is a sign of trouble for wild bees too

Bret Adee is one of the largest beekeepers in the US, with 2 billion bees across 55,000 hives. The business has been in his family since the 1930s, and sends truckloads of bees across the country from South Dakota, pollinating crops such as almonds, onions, watermelons and cucumbers.

Last December, his bees were wintering in California when the weather turned cold. Bees grouped on top of hives trying to keep warm. “Every time I went out to the beehive there were less and less,” says Adee. “Then a week later, there’d be more dead ones to pick up … every week there is attrition, just continually going down.”

Adee went on to lose 75% of his bees. “It’s almost depressingly sad,” he says. “If we have a similar situation this year – I sure hope we don’t – then we’re in a death spiral.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/08/record-us-bee-colony-dieoffs-climate-stress-pesticides-silent-spring-aoe

[MuseRider]

1. I sure hope something can be done.

Out here in Kansas my farm is looking very strange. Some of my most important wildflowers are barely here. I do have tons of milkweed because my guys that hay the place always take care not to cut it down. The pastures are unbelievable this year, just lovely grass but there are so few bugs, not a butterfly to be found. I don't think I have been bitten by anything this year and that may get worse (we SO NEED those bugs) it is scary.

I have seen so few bees that this article made me think. Wasps yes but not many bees at all. Come to think of it I have not seen a snake, the birds are here but sparse. We should all do some checking. I am outside in it so much that I think I just did not even notice and even that scares me because those are the things that make this place run and makes me happy.

[Quakerfriend]

2. The changes we are seeing now are quite profound.

It breaks my heart too.😢

I once wanted to be an entomologist…..

On a happy note- Here in SE Pa., we have bees everywhere this year. The wild Rhododendrons have bloomed spectacularly with all the rain we’ve had.
we sit and watch 4-5 honey bees + bumblebees on nearly every cluster of flowers- working until sunset.
The sound as they work is just magnificent!

I am heartened by the way nature bounced back with less human activity during Covid.

🙏 for Mother Earth.

[MuseRider]

3. I have been thinking about this all day.

I was talking about this with one of the men who cuts and bales my hay (I am just a small, little old lady now so I do not do any of that anymore). He comes back to cool down and we can continue talking. The more I think about it the more I worry. I think that perhaps it is not such a big deal yet because where I live we are having so much less precipitation here. It is astonishing how far the ponds are down, the fish are likely at the bottom. The Eagles quit coming around earlier, same with the vultures and the Osprey. Dear are out eating but I have seen no babies yet. Last year was not nearly this bad.

We are getting very small amounts of rain here this year. I have lived here within 10 miles if where I am now and I do not recognize this.

Last year was a beauty compared to this, like a usual Kansas spring and summer. At least my crop is well and harvested and ready for putting aside for winter.

[Quakerfriend]

4. Yes, it looks like we'll have to try to cope with

wild swings from year to year.

So glad your crop was good this year.

🙏 for your land and all the animals.

[MuseRider]

5. Thank you. No weed spray,

no fertilizer, It has to be done but I am seeing that it sure as heck does not need doing every year. The heat and dryness this year may make a need for a boost next spring.

Thanks for your nice comments.