August 2023 - 19

ORGANIC GROWER: POLLINATORS
result in a lower number of colony units, or colony units
of smaller size, available for pollination contracts. For
growers, those high losses might add to difficulties in
securing pollination contracts. "
The study provides growers a sense of pollination unit
availability, quality and costs, she said.
This year's report surveyed 3,006 beekeepers across
the U.S. who collectively managed 314,360 colonies,
representing 12% of the estimated 2.7 million U.S.
managed honey-producing colonies, according to the
USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service Honey
Reports. The U.S. honeybee industry is categorized
into three groups of beekeepers: backyard (managing
50 colonies or fewer), sideline (51-500 colonies), and
commercial (more than 500 colonies).
Commercial operations, which perform most of the
pollination services to agricultural crops, manage
the vast majority of honeybee colonies (about 90%
of surveyed colonies). The total number of honeybee
colonies has remained relatively stable over the last two
decades, although loss rates remain high, indicating
beekeepers are under substantial pressure to recover
from losses by creating new colonies every year,
Steinhauer said.
Avoid jumping to conclusions
Beekeepers can replace lost colonies by splitting
surviving colonies. The process, however, is costly in
time and expense and reduces the two smaller colonies'
productivity while they grow to full strength, threatening
beekeeping operations' sustainability.
Though it's easy to interpret loss rates as a change
in population size, the results should be interpreted as
a mortality rate similar to humans where population
change is a combination of mortality and natality,
Steinhauer said.
" One of the most common misinterpretations of the
loss rate is to say that honeybee populations are in
decline, " she said. " That is not the case. This distinction is
to make clear that we are looking at a mortality rate, not
a population size change. "
Many factors, including pests, disease, weatherrelated
issues, pollen and predators, affect honeybee
health and tend to worsen each other's impact on bees,
including malnourishment, which makes honeybees
more susceptible to pests and diseases.
Most commercial operators listed the varroa mite
parasite as their top concern, with queens and weather
tied for second place. By feeding on developing and adult
bees, varroa mites are a vector for viral infections. Since
its arrival in the U.S., the mite has changed the landscape
of viruses associated with honeybees and is one of
the biggest issues affecting honeybee health. Another
emerging issue is beekeepers' tools to combat varroa
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GREENHOUSES & EQUIPMENT
mites appear to be losing effectiveness in the field,
Steinhauer said.
Commercial beekeepers typically experience lower
loss levels than small-scale operators, though at levels
considered above acceptable (around 20%). In the winter
of 2022-23, commercial beekeepers experienced higher
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August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2023
