Last Updated September 15, 2026
U.S. beekeepers lost an estimated 39.9% of their managed colonies between April 2025 and April 2026, according to the annual U.S. Beekeeping Survey led by Auburn University in collaboration with Oregon State University and the Apiary Inspectors of America. After two brutal years of record losses, that number is actually a step back toward normal — which says something uncomfortable about what “normal” has come to mean for American beekeeping.
Key Takeaways
- U.S. beekeepers lost an estimated 39.9% of managed colonies in 2025–26, down from record losses of 55.1% (2023–24) and 55.6% (2024–25) — an improvement, but still roughly in line with the elevated losses beekeepers have faced for over a decade.
- Winter losses made up the larger share at 30.3%, about 10 percentage points above what beekeepers themselves consider economically sustainable for their operations.
- Backyard beekeepers managing fewer than 50 colonies lost a higher share of colonies than commercial operations managing more than 500 — losses were elevated across every operation size, not concentrated in one type of beekeeping.
- Industry leaders were explicit that a smaller number than the past two years still isn’t good news: American Honey Producers Association president Steven Coy called it “a crisis in slow motion,” not a victory.
- The survey drew responses from more than 2,300 beekeepers managing roughly 219,000 colonies — about 13.2% of the USDA’s estimated 2.4 million managed honey-producing colonies nationwide, and enough to be a genuinely representative national sample rather than a small anecdotal poll.
Table of Contents
- A Small Improvement Over Two Historically Bad Years
- "Not a Victory — a Crisis in Slow Motion"
- What This Means Alongside Other 2025 Numbers
- Frequently Asked Questions
A Small Improvement Over Two Historically Bad Years
To put 39.9% in context: it follows losses of 55.1% in 2023–24 and 55.6% in 2024–25, the two worst years on record for the survey. This year’s figure is a genuine improvement over that stretch, but it’s still roughly in line with — or above — the level beekeepers have been contending with for more than a decade, not a return to anything that could honestly be called healthy. The U.S. had roughly 2.6 million managed colonies before those two record-loss years began; that baseline is part of why even a “better” year like this one still lands well above what the industry calls sustainable.
| Survey period | Total colony loss |
|---|---|
| 2023–24 | 55.1% |
| 2024–25 | 55.6% |
| 2025–26 | 39.9% |
Winter losses accounted for the larger share of this year’s total, at 30.3% — about 10 percentage points above what beekeepers themselves consider an economically acceptable rate for their operations. More than 2,300 beekeepers managing roughly 219,000 colonies took part, representing about 13.2% of the USDA’s estimated 2.4 million managed honey-producing colonies nationwide. One detail worth flagging for anyone assuming this is mainly a commercial-scale problem: losses were elevated across every operation size, and backyard beekeepers managing fewer than 50 colonies actually lost a higher share of their colonies than commercial operations managing more than 500 — evidence, as the survey’s organizers put it, that no colony is immune regardless of operation size.
“Not a Victory — a Crisis in Slow Motion”
Reaction from beekeeping industry groups, quoted directly in Auburn University’s own announcement of the results, made clear that a smaller number than the past two years isn’t being read as good news.
“While it’s encouraging to see colony loss rates come down from last year’s historic highs, losing nearly 40% of managed colonies in a single year is not a victory — it’s a crisis in slow motion. Our industry and the crops that depend on it cannot sustain these levels of losses year after year. We need real action now before our industry reaches a point of no return. We must continue to invest in research, support, and solutions that get these numbers down closer to the truly acceptable level of 15-20%.”
Geoff Williams, director of Auburn University’s Bee Center and the survey’s lead researcher, pointed to the underlying pressures that haven’t gone away:
“Beekeepers and their colonies are continually looking to overcome pressure caused by parasites and poor forage. In recent years, this has meant more and more investment in time, tools and, of course, money as they try to stay afloat. It’s been a very challenging time for beekeepers, and this continues despite the welcome news of lower losses compared to the last 2 years.”
Debbie Seib, president of the American Beekeeping Federation, framed the survey’s ongoing value plainly: “The results produced from the U.S. Beekeeping Survey are critical in helping us understand the current status of our beekeeping industry. They provide insightful information and over time help to show trends in our industry” — a reminder that the number itself matters less than the ability to track it consistently, year after year, against a stable methodology.
What This Means Alongside Other 2025 Numbers
The loss survey doesn’t operate in isolation from other figures released around the same time. USDA’s own honey production data for 2025 showed a 7% drop in honey-producing colonies and a 14% drop in total production — different measurements, using different methodology and a different colony population, but consistent with a year where colony health nationally was under real, measurable strain rather than isolated to specific regions or operations. For beekeepers weighing whether their own losses are typical, this site’s guide to the Bee Informed Partnership — a related survey effort — is a useful next step for benchmarking a specific operation’s numbers against the wider national picture. The 2025-26 survey was also backed by a wider industry coalition than just the research institutions running it, with contributions from the One Hive Foundation, Project Apis m., the National Honey Board, the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, and both major national beekeeper associations — a sign of how much of the industry now treats this specific dataset as the shared baseline for tracking the problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of honeybee colonies did the US lose in 2025-2026?
An estimated 39.9% total annual loss, with winter losses making up the larger share at 30.3%, according to the Auburn University-led U.S. Beekeeping Survey.
Is 39.9% better or worse than recent years?
It’s an improvement over the two prior years’ record losses of 55.1% (2023–24) and 55.6% (2024–25), though it remains above what beekeepers consider an economically sustainable loss rate.
How many beekeepers participated in the survey?
More than 2,300 beekeepers managing about 219,000 colonies, roughly 13.2% of the USDA’s estimated 2.4 million managed honey-producing colonies nationwide.
Who conducts this annual survey?
Auburn University’s Bee Center, in collaboration with Oregon State University and the Apiary Inspectors of America, with support from groups including the American Beekeeping Federation and American Honey Producers Association.
Do backyard beekeepers lose fewer colonies than commercial operations?
No — the 2025-26 survey found the opposite. Backyard beekeepers managing fewer than 50 colonies lost a higher share of their colonies than commercial operations managing more than 500, though losses were elevated across every operation size.
What loss rate would actually be considered sustainable?
Industry groups like the American Honey Producers Association have pointed to roughly 15-20% as the level they’d consider genuinely acceptable — well below both this year’s 39.9% and the double-digit losses of the prior two years.
Related Reading
For a related deep dive, check out our article on risk assessment for large-scale beekeeping.
