California almond orchards have turned snowy white, signaling the start of bloom. However, beekeepers say that bee mortality rates are at an all-time high, and they are concerned there may not be enough honeybees to pollinate the 2025 almond crop. 

“The commercial beekeeping industry is experiencing significant hive loses nationwide,” said Ryan Burris, president of the California State Beekeepers Association. 

Burris, a fourth-generation Shasta County beekeeper and queen bee breeder, said he is especially concerned about growers who did not secure pollination contracts with beekeepers early in the year. 

Hives contain an average of eight frames of bees, with two hives per acre needed for pollination, Burris said. There’s concern that some growers may not be able to get enough bees to cover all their almond acres or that the strength of the hives may not be what growers need. 

The cost to rent colonies this year is about $225 each, Burris said.

Commercial beekeepers from California and other states, including as far away as Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin and Montana, annually supply more than 2 million honeybee colonies to pollinate the state’s 1.4 million bearing almond acres.

Beekeepers report that bee mortality rates spiked in February and exceeded the 30% average loss that they usually experience. Commercial beekeepers reported a 62% average loss during the past nine months, according to a survey conducted by a bee sector working group. 

“It was a really rough winter,” he said. “We started hearing about losses in early November, with some guys losing 60% of their colonies.”

Mortality observed by beekeepers in late 2024 were not widespread, he noted, but since then, bee losses have risen.

Tulare County beekeeper Steve Godlin, who retired last fall after 50 years in the business, said he experienced bee losses off and on during his career.

He noted how his hives were heavy with bees last September, but a month later, “we started seeing a couple of loads going downhill.” By November, some hives were left with just a cup or two of bees and a queen, with dead bees on the ground.

“This year is looking like one of the worst,” Godlin said, suggesting that the issue may be a new strain of Nosema, a disease that destroys the hive. 

He said lost bees and a drop in the honey price had taken a toll on his business, which “has been my life.” 

“My brother Paul and I sold the bees, sold the trucks, sold all the comb, all the supers and anything bee related before Thanksgiving,” he said.

Beekeepers say the heightened bee mortality this season could stem from a combination of environmental stressors, including poor nutrition and limited access to diverse forage, parasites and pathogens, and pesticide exposure. 

Burris said he believes the Varroa mite, an external parasite that attacks and feeds on honeybees, is the No. 1 cause of bee losses this year. The mite’s population continues to increase until the pest kills the entire bee colony. With a limited number of tools available for managing Varroa mites, resistance has become an issue. 

Burris said there are fewer tools for beekeepers to treat infected hives. With mite levels so high this year, it was hard for them to keep populations under control, he added. 

Danielle Downey, executive director of Project Apis m., a nonprofit organization dedicated to honeybee research, said scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service are working with beekeeping organizations to gather data and assess potential causes of the losses. USDA is testing samples of bees to determine viral loads.  

In the meantime, with a shortage of bees, beehives are a target of thieves, and stolen hives have been reported in many counties. This past fall, Godlin said 136 of his previously owned hives were stolen, representing a loss of about $55,000, which includes the value of the hives and lost income.

California beekeepers have experienced an 87% increase in hive thefts since 2013, with losses estimated at more than $3.5 million, Burris noted.

“Beekeepers have to take action that will result in criminal convictions in order to stop these thefts,” he said. 

To help members of CSBA, the organization announced a partnership with Pipkin Detective Agency, which is donating 50 hours of free time to investigate hive thefts. To prevent thefts, beekeepers are encouraged to mark hives with names, distinctive brands and use tracking devices such as air tags and immediately report missing hives to local law enforcement.

“Every step you take to protect your hives will decrease the chance of theft or, at least, increase the likelihood of a criminal conviction if stolen,” Burris said. 

CSBA offers a reward of $10,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of perpetrators who stole a member’s beehives. 

Total hive value ranges between $350-$500 per hive. This includes the cost of the hive, plus lost income for pollination, future honey crop and the ability to split the hive to create more bees for the next season. 

Fresno County almond grower Lorna Roush said she received her bees a few weeks ago and has enough to pollinate her almond crop this year. She noted her almond trees started bloom in late January, which she considers early. She grows Nonpareil, Sonora, Wood Colony  and Shasta, a self-pollinating variety. 

“We have a really good relationship with our beekeeper,” she said.

A concern for Roush and other growers is that cool weather during bloom could mean that bees may not get enough flight time to effectively pollinate their trees, though warming temperatures this week could change that.