Protecting honey bees in the U.S.

Four out of every ten honey bee colonies in the United States died last year. That is not good.

There’s a growing consensus that simultaneous pressures caused by stressors like introduced parasites and human land-use practices are responsible for the plight of today’s beekeepers and their honey bees. Despite recent advances in our understanding of honey bee health, we still lack important basic information about some of their most well-known potential threats.

Initiatives like FFAR’s Pollinator Health Fund are crucial for researchers across the country to develop long-term sustainable solutions for this economically and culturally important insect.

– Geoff Williams, College of Agriculture at Auburn University, Auburn University