Vermont beekeepers raise alarm over bee decline

BURLINGTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – More than half of bee colonies in Vermont were lost over the last year, according to a survey by UVM’s Bee Lab.

“This is not a normal loss year – this is an emergency signal.”

The Vermont Beekeepers Association (VBA) highlighted the report on Monday. They wrote that pesticide use and a parasite that feeds on honeybees have been the main forces behind the more than 56% drop.

According to the USDA, the average annual losses were around 20% before 2006, and have been above 30% in recent years, but this is the highest rate recorded.

UVM’s survey reportedly covered more than a third of registered bee colonies in the state.

“Beekeepers are doing everything they can, but we cannot solve this alone,” said Andrew Munkres, former president of the VBA. “These numbers prove that bee health is now a food system issue. Vermont needs to respond at a food system scale.”

A survey released earlier this year by Auburn University showed similar losses across many parts of the country.

Also according to the USDA, honey prices have risen sharply this century. After adjusting for inflation, honey was almost three times the price in 2024 across the country compared to 2000.