California, April 10,2024 – American Honey Producers Association
The USDA NASS 2022 Ag Census reported a record high 3.8 million honey bee colonies in the United States, an increase of 25% over the last bi-decade census. However, these USDA numbers directly contradict the same agency’s own yearly honey report and honey bee report. Those reports estimate honey bee population numbers between 2.5 and 2.9 million colonies respectively for the exact same year (2022), and have consistently reported honey bee colonies in that range for years.
Some media outlets have suggested that the latest numbers result from a rise in beekeeping popularity as a hobby in both rural and urban areas. The reality is that hobbyists make up approximately 95% of the total number of beekeepers but only manage 7% of the total number of colonies according to the 2022 National Colony Loss and Management (BIP 2022). Thus, this explanation is not likely.
The discrepancies are more likely due to a combination of factors. First, the 5-year Ag Census methodology includes surveying farms which “host” colonies, but are not necessarily beekeeping operations themselves. Beekeepers and their commercial honey bee colonies are migratory, meaning…
