The United States lost approximately 55 percent of its managed honeybee colonies during the 2025 to 2026 overwintering season, according to preliminary survey data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. The figure marks the highest single-season loss rate since the USDA began formal colony mortality tracking in 2006, surpassing the previous record of 45.9 percent recorded in the 2022 to 2023 season.
What the USDA Data Shows | Colony Losses by the Numbers
The USDA Bee Informed Partnership annual survey, which covers approximately 4,700 commercial and backyard beekeeping operations, found total colony losses reached 55.1 percent from October 2025 through April 2026. Of that total, winter losses alone accounted for 44.8 percent, with summer losses contributing an additional 10.3 percent year-over-year. Commercial operations, which manage the pollination of roughly one-third of the U.S. food supply, reported the sharpest declines, with losses averaging 57 percent compared to 48 percent for hobbyist beekeepers.
Researchers identified three compounding factors driving the collapse. The varroa mite (Varroa destructor), an external parasitic mite that suppresses bee immune function and transmits deformed wing virus, was cited as the primary stressor in 71 percent of surveyed operations. Resistance to oxalic acid, the last broadly effective mite treatment approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has been documented in populations across 18 states as of spring 2026.
Pesticide Load and Habitat Fragmentation
Secondary drivers identified in the survey include systemic pesticide exposure, particularly from neonicotinoids applied to corn, soy, and cotton seed coatings, and the ongoing loss of native forage habitat. The USDA estimates the U.S. has lost more than 150 million acres of pollinator-supporting habitat since 1950 due to urban development, monoculture expansion, and changes in roadside mowing practices.
Sublethal neonicotinoid exposure impairs navigation, foraging efficiency, and the queen-finding behavior of worker bees, compounding winter mortality risk. Entomologist Dr. Juliana Rangel of Texas A&M University, who contributed to the 2026 survey analysis, noted that the compounding of stressors is the defining challenge: "No single cause kills a colony. The accumulation of parasites, pesticide load, and nutritional stress hitting a weakened population tips them over."
Food Supply Stakes | One-Third of the American Diet
The agricultural stakes are significant. The USDA estimates that honeybees and native pollinators contribute approximately $15 billion annually to U.S. crop value, covering almonds, blueberries, cherries, and squash. California's almond industry alone relies on roughly 2.5 million honeybee colonies rented each February for pollination, accounting for nearly 80 percent of global almond supply. Almond growers have begun reporting rental price increases of 25 to 40 percent over the past two seasons as colony availability tightens.
The American Beekeeping Federation warned in a May 2026 statement that colony replacement rates, which allow commercial operators to restock lost hives by splitting surviving colonies or purchasing package bees, are no longer keeping pace with losses. "Beekeepers have been remarkably resilient, but the math is becoming untenable," the federation's statement read.
Policy Interventions Under Consideration
Researchers and advocates are pressing for several policy interventions. The HoneyNewspaper environment desk has tracked proposed EPA registration reviews for clothianidin and imidacloprid, two neonicotinoids with documented sublethal effects on bees. Federal Farm Bill provisions funding the Conservation Reserve Program's pollinator habitat set-asides are up for reauthorization in 2026, with advocacy groups calling for a tripling of the current 26 million enrolled acres.
At the state level, California, Minnesota, and Vermont have enacted or proposed neonicotinoid restrictions on ornamental plants sold to consumers, a sector identified by researchers as a disproportionate exposure route for urban pollinators that forage in gardens and parks. HoneyNewspaper food safety reporting has tracked how pollinator decline intersects with the domestic food supply chain, particularly for crops that cannot be mechanically pollinated.
Animal welfare and environmental groups have simultaneously called for stronger protections under the Endangered Species Act framework, noting that the rusty-patched bumblebee, listed as endangered in 2017, continues to decline across its historic range in the Midwest and Northeast. The corporate accountability implications of agricultural pesticide use on pollinator health remain a focus of ongoing investigations.
The USDA Bee Informed Partnership publishes its full annual report each June. The complete 2025 to 2026 dataset is available through the Bee Informed Partnership. HoneyNewspaper will report on the full findings upon publication.