Study: Bee Population Loss High Due to Harsh Winter
JACKSON, Tenn.- This past winter was brutal especially for beekeepers. Nationally, the loss of honey bee colonies last winter was actually lower than in past years. But in Tennessee the bee loss was actually higher. The survey found 23 percent of managed bee colonies in the U.S. died last winter. Bob Moore, a local beekeeper tells us the number is almost double here in West Tennessee. Believe it or not, losing colonies can impact your how much you spend on your grocery bill. “Roughly 35 percent of all our food products, everything that we eat is pollunated by bees. that is your watermelon, your squash, your cucumbers, apples. It has a huge impact with agriculture that the average citizen may not be aware of,” said beekeeper Bob Moore. Scientists have been trying to figure out why the honey bee population has been dying off in such great numbers. The theories range from pesticides and mites to loss of habitat in the wild.
