Florida’s Beekeepers Reel From Hurricane Ian – The New York Times

Source: Florida’s Beekeepers Reel From Hurricane Ian – The New York Times

The Florida State Beekeepers Association estimated that Hurricane Ian destroyed between 150,000 and 300,000 beehives, a loss that could have far-reaching consequences across the United States. Many beekeepers keep their hives in Florida in fall and winter before leasing them out to large farms from coast to coast to assist in pollination for the country’s food supply.

“Bees don’t make honey for us to eat for our biscuits,” John Coldwell, the association’s president, said. “Bees make honey so that they can survive through the next season.”

…

At least three-quarters of flowering plants require the assistance of pollinators, including bees, butterflies and moths, to produce fruit and seeds, and about one-third of the food humans eat depends on pollination by honeybees. Climate change, pesticides and habitat loss are contributing to a steep decline in bee populations, and commercial beekeeping is vital to the production from honeybees.

Of Florida’s 800,000 beehives, about 60 percent are focused on pollination, Mr. Coldwell said. The state’s honeybees are key pollinators for California’s almond harvest, Mr. Coldwell said. They are then shipped to Montana for alfalfa pollination, followed by Washington and Oregon for pears and cherries; across the plains to Wisconsin and the Dakotas for cranberries; to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania for apples, peaches and cherries; and finally to the Northeast for blueberries and cranberries before being sent back down south.

The impact of the loss of so many Florida honeybees could extend beyond fruits and vegetables. Alfalfa is a primary food for livestock.