Experts Caution That Honey Bees Alone Cannot Protect Native Bee Populations

Honey bees have been essential to global agriculture for centuries, pollinating over 130 varieties of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, contributing more than $15 billion annually to U.S. crops, as reported by the USDA. They also produce honey, bee bread, royal jelly, and propolis. Initially, wild pollinators handled crop pollination, but by the early to mid-20th century, honey bees became the primary pollinators to meet agricultural demands. Introduced to the U.S. by British colonists in 1622 for honey and beeswax production, the honey bee population grew to nearly 5.9 million colonies by World War II. However, this number has since halved due to declining honey prices, demand, and various environmental factors. Currently, honey bees are crucial for commercial crop pollination and honey production, yet they face significant declines, with 1.6 million commercial colonies lost from June 2024 to March 2025, according to the Honey Bee Health Coalition.