ST. PAUL, Minn. — Honey bee colonies for operations with 5 or more colonies in Minnesota as of January 1, 2022, totaled 95,000 colonies. This was up 56 percent from 61,000 colonies on January 1 last year but down 5 percent from 100,000 colonies during the October-December 2021 quarter. The maximum number of colonies during the January-March 2022 quarter was 98,000.
Honey bee colonies lost for operations with 5 or more colonies for the January-March 2022 quarter was 1,500, or 2 percent. This was down 2 percentage points from the same period last year and down 9 percentage points from losses reported during the October-December 2021 quarter.
Varroa mites were the number one stressor for operations with 5 or more colonies in all of 2021.
United States Honey Bee Colonies
Honey bee colonies for operations with five or more colonies in the United States on January 1, 2022, totaled
2.88 million colonies, down 1 percent from January 1, 2021. The number of colonies in the United States on
April 1, 2022, was 2.92 million colonies. During 2021, honey bee colonies on January 1, April 1, July 1, and
October 1 were 2.90 million, 2.83 million, 3.17 million, and 3.09 million colonies, respectively.
Honey bee colonies lost for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2022, was
331,780 colonies, or 12 percent. The number of colonies lost during the quarter of April through June 2022, was 282,630 colonies, or 10 percent. During the quarter of January through March 2021, colonies lost totaled
464,640 colonies, or 16 percent, the highest number lost of any quarter surveyed in 2021. The quarter surveyed in 2021 with the lowest number of colonies lost was July through September, with 295,660 colonies lost, or 9 percent.
Honey bee colonies added for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2022 was
367,890 colonies. The number of colonies added during the quarter of April through June 2022 was 589,630.
During the quarter of April through June 2021, the number of colonies added were 665,730 colonies, the highest number of honey bee colonies added for any quarter surveyed in 2021. The quarter of October through December 2021 added 93,940 colonies, the least number of honey bee colonies added for any quarter surveyed in 2021.
Honey bee colonies renovated for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2022 was 187,180 colonies, or 7 percent. During the quarter of April through June 2022, the number of colonies renovated were 492,410 colonies, or 17 percent. The quarter surveyed in 2021 with the highest number of colonies renovated was April through June 2021 with 475,750 colonies renovated, or 17 percent. The quarter surveyed in 2021 with the lowest number of colonies renovated was October through December 2021, with 146,520, or 5 percent. Renovated colonies are those that were requeened or received new honey bees through a nucleus (nuc) colony or package.
Varroa mites were the number one stressor for operations with five or more colonies during all quarters surveyed in 2021. The period with the highest percentage of colonies reported to be affected by varroa mites was April through June 2021 at 50.7 percent. The percent of colonies reported to be affected by varroa mites during January through March 2022 and April through June 2022 are 33.7 percent and 45.2 percent, respectively.
Honey bee colonies lost with Colony Collapse Disorder symptoms on operations with five or more colonies was 86,070 colonies from January through March 2022. This represents a 12 percent increase from the same quarter in 2021.
— USDA NASS
