July 3rd, 2025 by WCBC Radio

West Virginia’s honeybee population decline is estimated at about 40% this year, according to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. A drought last year, bad weather and an invasive species of mite have led to high losses in the Mountain State alone. According to Blake Shook, one of the nation’s top beekeepers, the population decline is nationwide…

   

“That data is howing that this is th worst bee loss in recorded history. If this is a multi-year thing, it will change the way we consume food in the United States. I mean if we lost 80% of our bees every year, the industry cannot survive. Which means we cannot pollinate at the scale that we need to produce food in the United States.”