By Blake Jackson
As of January 1, 2024, Wisconsin's honey bee colonies for operations with five or more colonies totaled 31,000.
This represents a 15 percent increase from the 27,000 colonies reported at the same time last year but marks a significant 37 percent decrease from the 49,000 colonies recorded on October 1, 2023. The peak number of colonies during the January-March 2024 quarter was 55,000.
During the January-March 2024 quarter, honey bee colonies experienced a loss of 1,600 colonies, translating to a 3 percent loss rate.
This figure is notably lower than the 11 percent loss reported for the same period in 2023 and a decrease of 10 percentage points from the losses seen in the October-December 2023 quarter.
Varroa mites, a persistent threat, continued to be the primary stressor for bee operations throughout 2023. The impact of varroa mites is evident in the reported colony health statistics.
For the January-March 2024 quarter, varroa mites were responsible for 11.3 percent of the issues, a decrease from the 15 percent reported in the same quarter of the previous year. Other pests and parasites, diseases, pesticides, and unknown factors also contributed to colony stress.
Overall, the data highlights both the progress and challenges faced by Wisconsin's beekeepers, reflecting improvements in colony management and reduced losses despite ongoing issues with pests like varroa mites.
Photo Credit: pexels-pixabay
Categories: Wisconsin, General