Record honey bee losses prompt AgriLife Extension webinar

Texas beekeepers lost 61% of their honey bee colonies — nearly 60,000 hives over the past year, according to the most recent statewide survey of more than 400 beekeepers.

This was one of the steepest declines in beehives ever recorded in Texas, said Garett Slater, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service honey bee specialist and assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Entomology based at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton.

“This isn’t just a beekeeping problem, it’s an agriculture and food security challenge,” Slater said. “When we lose bees at this scale, the ripple effects touch every Texan, from farm to table.”

Strategies and solutions-oriented webinar

Recognizing the urgency, AgriLife Extension will host a free webinar for Texas beekeepers, growers, educators and the public — What’s Happening to Our Bees? Exploring Honey Bee Declines — at 6 p.m. Aug. 29.

Slater will explain the statewide survey data and explore possible solutions. The session will blend scientific findings with practical strategies to strengthen colony survival and pollinator resilience.

To register, visit https://tx.ag/BeeWebinar. Once registered, participants will receive a confirmation email containing the webinar link.

AgriLife Extension aids in U.S. Beekeeping Survey

AgriLife Extension’s apiculture program worked closely with the Apiary Inspectors of America and Auburn University to review and refine this year’s survey, ensuring it captures critical data on colony losses, management practices and challenges facing beekeepers.

Bees pollinate one-third of the food we eat, including high-value Texas crops like melons, berries, nuts and vegetables. A sustained decline in pollinator health could upend agricultural productivity, rural economies and ecosystem balance, Slater said.

About the webinar

Slater will explain the colony loss data, highlight where declines have been most severe and how trends vary across Texas. He will address the complex factors driving these losses, from parasitic varroa mites and problems with queen performance to other stressors like nutrition and pesticides.

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service will be discussed, which reveals an increased varroa mite resistance to the commonly used treatment amitraz, along with the rise of new viral threats.

The session will also provide research updates on efforts to breed virus- and mite-resistant bees, an approach aimed at reducing dependence on broad-spectrum chemical treatments and building long-term colony resilience. “Part of the solution is combining cutting-edge research with widespread public engagement,” Slater said. “By equipping beekeepers and growers with data-driven tools and resilient bee genetics, we can safeguard pollinators for the next generation.”