Bee specialist alerts about parasite decimating 40% of winter colonies.

World bee experts convened in Othello to address the significant die-off of honey bee colonies during the winter of 2024. Jerry Hayes, editor of The Bee Culture, appeared on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, highlighting the potential impact of this die-off on the U.S. food supply, attributing approximately 40% of winter colony losses to the Varroa destructor mite, an invasive parasite from Asia. Hayes described the mite's size relative to a honey bee, likening it to a tick or flea that feeds on the bee, introducing viruses and weakening their immune systems.