Minnesota Honey Bee Colonies Fluctuate
Honey bee colonies for operations with 5 or more colonies in Minnesota as of Jan. 1, 2024, totaled 25,000 colonies, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. This was down 39 percent from 41,000 colonies on Jan. 1 last year and down 56 percent from 57,000 colonies on October 1, 2023. The maximum number of colonies during the January-March 2024 quarter was 85,000.
Honey bee colonies lost for operations with 5 or more colonies for the January-March 2024 quarter was 830, or 1 percent. This was down 1 percent from the same period last year and down 10 percent from losses reported during the October-December 2023 quarter.
Varroa mites was the number one stressor for Minnesota operations with 5 or more colonies in all of 2023.
United States honey bee colonies
Honey bee colonies for operations with five or more colonies in the United States on January 1, 2024, totaled 2.71 million colonies, down 1 percent from January 1, 2023. The number of colonies in the United States on April 1, 2024, was 2.71 million colonies. During 2023, honey bee colonies on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 were 2.73 million, 2.71 million, 2.92 million, and 2.82 million colonies, respectively.
Honey bee colonies lost for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2024, was 396,820 colonies, or 15 percent. The number of colonies lost during the quarter of April through June 2024, was 288,190 colonies, or 11 percent. During the quarter of April through June 2023, colonies lost totaled 378,190 colonies, or 14 percent, the highest number lost of any quarter surveyed in 2023. The quarter surveyed in 2023 with the lowest number of colonies lost was October through December, with 254,520 colonies lost, or 9 percent.
Honey bee colonies added for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2024 was 404,100 colonies. The number of colonies added during the quarter of April through June 2024 was 617,420. During the quarter of April through June 2023, the number of colonies added were 618,350 colonies, the highest number of honey bee colonies added for any quarter surveyed in 2023. The quarter of October through December 2023 added 118,840 colonies, the least number of honey bee colonies added for any quarter surveyed in 2023.
Honey bee colonies renovated for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2024 was 215,070 colonies, or 8 percent. During the quarter of April through June 2024, the number of colonies renovated were 521,790 colonies, or 19 percent. The quarter surveyed in 2023 with the highest number of colonies renovated was April through June 2023 with 485,640 colonies renovated, or 18 percent. The quarter surveyed in 2023 with the lowest number of colonies renovated was January through March 2023, with 113,440, or 4 percent. Renovated colonies are those that were requeened or received new honey bees through a nucleus (nuc) colony or package.
Varroa mites were the number one stressor for operations with five or more colonies during all quarters surveyed in 2023. The period with the highest percentage of colonies reported to be affected by varroa mites was April through June 2023 at 52.0 percent. The percent of colonies reported to be affected by varroa mites during January through March 2024 and April through June 2024 are 43.3 percent and 54.8 percent, respectively.
Honey bee colonies lost with Colony Collapse Disorder symptoms on operations with five or more colonies was 70,650 colonies from January through March 2024. This represents a 34 percent decrease from the same quarter in 2023.
The complete report can be found on the USDA NASS website at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications.
