Decline of Honeybee Hives

Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Clemson’s Public Service & Agriculture division publishes a magazine called Impacts available by request to South Carolina residents. A recent article focused on the efforts of the US Department of Agriculture, the state land grant universities, and bee keepers themselves in collecting data on the causes of the national decline in honey bee hives. There are always some colonies that don’t survive the winter, but the latest estimates are that loses have increased from twenty-two to thirty-six percent in the past eight years. Some of the reasons believed to be responsible are the parasitic Varroa mite, stress from being moved,   poor nutrition from habitat loss, pesticide exposure and exotic invasive pests. While scientists search for answers, we can do our part by growing plants in our landscapes that support not only the European honeybee but also the thousands of native pollinators.