State of Beekeeping in USA

In many ways, this is good news.  The problem with disease pressure is been adjusted for with better husbandry and liklely avoidance of pesticide rich areas..  We can ultimately expect a solid recovery as far as bees are concerned and the long trajectory of improving husbandry will bring it all back far better than we ever had it.

We really do know how to get it right, but the change over is generational.  so hurry up and wait.

Someday every open area on earth will be grazed by cattle as part of its normal rotation and nutrient lifting trees will be integrated into the landscape.  Cultivate lands will see biochar applied to hold nutrients as well.  All this does not demand excessive labour.

State of Beekeeping in USA

Gardens across the U.S. are buzzing with hobbyist and professional beekeepers.

But the location of your colony can sweeten or sour your beekeeping journey.

To mark National Pollinator Week beginning June 20, Lawn Love ranked 2022’s Best States for Beekeeping.

We looked at several metrics, such as total honey production, number of active bee colonies, beekeepers' salaries, and honey suppliers. We also considered colony losses and whether the state protects honeybees from harmful neonics.

Check out the 5 sweetest (and 5 sourest) states for beekeeping below, followed by key insights from our report.

2022's Best States for Beekeeping

Rank City

1 California

2 New York

3 North Dakota

4 Florida

5 Texas

2022's Worst States for Beekeeping

Rank City

1 Nebraska

2 Utah

3 Arizona

4 Wyoming

5 Louisiana

Key insights:

Golden Cali nectar: Home to 1,600 species of native bees, California brings home the gold for also being the leading player in the (non-native) honeybee industry. The Golden State scored sweet points in every metric, earning first place in the Establishments and Support ranks.

Bees are swarming across Cali, thanks to the state’s suitable climate, thriving agricultural industry, and high level of biodiversity. Around 2 million beehives make their way to Cali each year to help with food production.

(Honey)combing through the Midwest: Worker bees must work extra hard in North Dakota (No. 3), which yielded more than 28,000 pounds of honey in 2021 — the most of any state.

No other region comes close to the Flickertail State’s production levels, but several other Midwest states fared well, including Ohio (No. 6) and Michigan (No. 7), both of which stood out for their abundant honey suppliers and farmers markets selling honey.

Dry and quiet in the desert: You’d expect Utah (No. 39) — nicknamed “The Beehive State” — to be a bit more bee-friendly. Unfortunately, Utah has some of the highest average rates of colony loss, losing an average of more than 70% of its honeybee population between 2020 and 2021.

Utah and Arizona (No. 38) disappoint with unimpressive scores across the board. While native desert bees might thrive there, the desert isn’t an ideal spot for starting a hive of honeybees, which require long bloom times in order for pollination to be effective.

Our full ranking and analysis are available here: https://lawnlove.com/blog/best-states-for-beekeeping/