Some 23,300 bee keepers nationwide would be contacted about honeybee mortality under a pair of surveys proposed by the Agriculture Department. In a Federal Register notice, USDA opened a 60-day comment period on its proposal. There would be an annual survey of 20,000 keepers with less than five colonies of bees and a quarterly survey of an estimated 3,300 keepers with five or more hives. Honeybees are important in pollination of dozens of crops. “Shortages of honeybees in the United States have led to substantial increases in the cost to farmers renting them for pollination services,” said USDA.
“The data collected will include state of colony residence, the commercial movement of colonies between states, newly added or replacement colonies, colony losses, and presence of colony stress factors, such as pests or parasites,” said USDA. Losses from so-called colony collapse disorder have ranged from 10-15 percent annually to more than 50 percent. The causes are unclear. Likely factors include Varroa mites and other pathogens, insecticides, poor nutrition, loss of habitat and changes in beekeeping systems, among others.