The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is planning on collecting information about colony loss for beekeepers and the honey industry across the United States for their next Quarterly Colony Loss survey in January 2024.

This survey collects information about colony inventory and loss from around 400 honeybee colonies in the Northeast Region of the US. This information then provides beekeepers and honey producers with results they can use when making business plans and marketing decisions. Local organizations such as Cooperative Extensions and State Departments also use this information for outreach and education.

Locally, no significant colony loss has been noted.

Walt Dahlgren with the Chautauqua County Beekeepers Association — which meets on the second Thursday of every month — said that local beekeepers do participate in these types of surveys. The Association also recommends checking colonies and treating them when needed.

“These surveys let people know potential problems and diseases in the area,” Dahlgren said. “It allows us to be able to treat diseases, such as mites which can get under bees.”

Steps can be taken to prevent potential colony loss. In the spring, Dahlgren said it is important to get out and check the colonies, to make sure they have enough honey to make it through the winter.

“Bees generate heat,” Dahlgren said. “You can protect your hives from the cold and the wind and check in the spring to make sure they will have enough honey to get them through the winter as a heat and food source.”

Dahlgren recommends that all local beekeepers either participate in or take note of the quarterly colony loss surveys done by the NASS. For right now though, he said the most important thing to do is to make sure hives are prepared for winter.

“The most important thing right now is to make sure bees have enough honey stored for the winter,” Dahlgren said. “Check the hives in the spring so you don’t have to open them in the winter and risk letting in cold so they have to replace their heat, and you can make sure they have a sufficient food source.”

Previous Quarterly Colony Loss Surveys and all other NASS reports can be found at nass.usda.gov/Publications.