MERCER COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Spring is in full swing, meaning plants are beginning to sprout and bees are ready to pollinate.
These small insects play a vital role in agriculture, assisting farmers by pollinating their crops. However, a concerning trend is emerging across the nation, as honey bee populations start to decline.
According to Washington State University, the decline of honey bee colonies in the United States could reach as high as 70% this year. Experts are currently dissecting the possible causes behind this alarming decline.
Tim Sheehan, President of the Kentucky State Beekeeper Association, highlighted several potential factors contributing to the loss.
"Mites are a big cause, it could be pesticides, inexperience," Sheehan noted.
Sheehan, who leads a nonprofit organization that supports beekeepers throughout the commonwealth, indicated that members are increasingly concerned.
"The number one thing they asked me right away was what an update on the bee die is. What do you know? What's the latest?" he said.
The impact of this crisis extends beyond beekeepers and may affect consumers directly.
Sheehan remarked, "The biggest impact we are going to see and I hate this for people is in the produce market."
He warned that the decline in bee populations could lead to increased prices for fresh fruits and vegetables and could also affect the cost of various other food products.
"In other parts of the store where their ingredients. In jams and jellies. That product, that ingredient relied on bee pollination," Sheehan added.
The United States Department of Agriculture reports that approximately 35% of the world's food crops depend on pollinators like bees.
As Sheehan stated, "They're just bugs. They're just insects, but we've become tied to them."
