US EditionQ&A: Researcher discusses elevated risk of extinction for over 22% of native North American pollinators
- A new NatureServe study reveals that over 22% of native pollinators in North America, vital for food production and contributing over $15 billion annually to North American agriculture, face an elevated risk of extinction.
- The decline of pollinators, especially bees , threatens biodiversity, food systems, and human livelihoods, underscoring an urgent need for conservation.
- Jaret Daniels, curator of Lepidoptera at the Florida Museum of Natural History, co-authored the study, highlighting the implications of the findings and recommending actions such as reducing turf area, diversifying landscapes, and increasing native plants to aid pollinators.
- Commercial honey bee colony losses in the U.S. Could reach 60 to 70 percent, with the past decade already experiencing an average annual loss of 40 to 50 percent, driven by nutrition deficiencies, mite infestations, viral diseases, and possible pesticide exposure.
- Brandon Hopkins and Priya Chakrabarti Basu from Washington State University noted that extreme honey bee colony losses put the almond industry at particular risk, with Hopkins expressing concern that this level of loss could lead to increased bankruptcies amongst beekeepers, who are already under pressure to meet pollination demands.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Honey bee hives decrease wild bee abundance, species richness, and fruit count on farms regardless of wildflower strips
Pollinator refuges such as wildflower strips are planted on farms with the goals of mitigating wild pollinator declines and promoting crop pollination services. It is unclear, however, whether or how these goals are impacted by managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) hives on farms. We examined how wildflower strips and honey bee hives and/or their interaction influence wild bee communities and the fruit count of two pollinator-dependent crops acr…
It's a Very Bad Year for the Honeybee
It's not easy being a bee, especially in 2025. Honeybee colonies typically decline 40% to 50% annually, but this year colonies could decline up to 70% owing to a host of problems, including nutrition deficiencies, mite infestations, viral diseases, and potential pesticide exposure, according to entomologists at Washington State University....
Q&A: Researcher discusses elevated risk of extinction for over 22% of native North American pollinators
A new study led by NatureServe reveals that more than 22% of native pollinators in North America are at an elevated risk of extinction. This first-of-its-kind, taxonomically diverse assessment evaluated nearly 1,600 species—including bees, beetles, butterflies, moths, flower flies, bats and hummingbirds—shedding light on the growing biodiversity crisis affecting ecosystems and food security.
US Honey Bee Populations Could Plummet 70% This Year
A recent press release by Washington State University (WSU) revealed some devastating truths about severe honey bee losses, and experts are growing concerned. According to the press release, entomologists at WSU found that commercial honey bee colony losses could reach 60 to 70 percent in the U.S. this year. For reference, the past decade has experienced an average annual loss of around 40 to 50 percent. Honey Bee Population Loss Could Reach 70%…
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