Fresno, Valley almond farmers on edge after catastrophic losses in honey bee colonies
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Varroa destructor blamed for much of the 55.6% colony loss in 2024–2025.
- Almonds need ~2.5M colonies; growers expect slight bee rental cost rises.
- Beekeepers use new chemicals, breeding and forage conservation to help hives.
A menacing pest, with a name to match, is being blamed for knocking out more than half of the nation’s supply of honey bees, according to the latest survey of bee colonies.
Scientists, researchers and beekeepers found that the nation’s honey bee population has lost 55.6% of its colonies during the 2024-2025 season, more than any other year on record.
The culprit, the Varroa Destructor, is a tiny parasitic arachnid that feeds on larvae, adult bees and spreads deadly viruses, like Deformed Wing Virus. If left untreated, it can decimate a beekeeper’s colonies.
Experts say that as loss rates continue to rise beekeepers must find ways to improve production to meet demand. Approximately 75% of crop production depends on pollinators, so without honey bees, U.S. food supply would be significantly affected, according to the survey, a joint effort by the Apiary Inspectors of America, Auburn University and Oregon State University.
Federal agriculture officials estimate the value of crops requiring bee pollination is more than $20 billion annually in the U.S. and $387 billion globally.
In the central San Joaquin Valley, the heart of nation’s $5.6 billion almond industry, almond growers are anxiously waiting for their winged workforce to arrive.
This year, the industry estimates it will produce nearly 3-billion pounds of almonds on about 1.4 million acres in California. On average, it takes about 2.5 million bee colonies to pollinate almonds. It’s a job too large for California, requiring out-of-state beekeepers to haul in thousands of bee colonies on flatbed trucks to fill the void.
Farmer Christine Gemperle of Ceres is well aware beekeepers are struggling to keep their hives healthy and alive. She dodged a bullet last year when bee colonies nationwide were also down by roughly half, but she still managed to get a decent crop of almonds.
“The fact is that anybody who is reliant on bee pollination could be impacted by a shortage of bees,” Gemperle said. “And as the pollination season goes, almonds are the first so we could feel the greatest impact.”
Almond growers fully expect to see a slight increase in the rental costs for bees as the supply of colonies shrinks. Currently, the fee is hovering between $185 to $210 per colony. Historically, almond growers place two colonies per acre. But that may not be possible if the shortage gets worse.
Matt Beekman, a beekeeper and board member of the California State Beekeepers Association, wrote recently in a newsletter that the industry is working on better tools to fight the varroa mite. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has registered two additional chemicals to kill the mite. There are also efforts among researchers and beekeepers to breed a more mite-resistant queen.
But it isn’t just the mite that beekeepers are fighting. The industry is facing a shortage of pasture land where the bees can forage and collect nectar to make honey. For those beekeepers who also make honey, foreign producers are rapidly eating up their market share. Countries including India, Vietnam, Argentina, Brazil, and Ukraine now make up 74% of the U.S. supply.
Ryan Burris, a beekeeper in Palo Cedro in Shasta County, said it is getting harder and harder for beekeepers to stay in business, especially for those in California who are faced with the high costs of fuel and labor.
“I was born and bred in this business, this is what I was meant to do,” Burris said. “But its getting tougher all the time. The price of honey is in the toilet right now because of how much imported honey is coming into the market. And we can’t sell our honey below the cost of production, you can’t make any money that way.”
Matt Mulica, senior project director with the Keystone Policy Center and a facilitator with The Honey Bee Health Coalition, said several organizations have come together to find solutions to the problems facing beekeepers.
And while scientists and beekeepers do their part, Mulica said the average resident can support native bees by following a few simple rules: plant bee-friendly flowers, buy local honey and if using chemicals in your yard, read the labels carefully and don’t apply in the middle of the day when bees are foraging.
This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 7:40 AM.
