This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Honeybee shortage could harm world's almond supply (Photos)
Dr. Gordon Wardell of Paramount Farming Co.'s almond farms in Lost Hills, Calif., pulls out a frame of rented honeybees. Paramount is the largest almond grower in the nation with 46,000 acres of almond trees across the San Joaquin Valley.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
A honeybee pollinates a female almond flower with pollen from an adjacent male tree. It takes 92,000 bee colonies to pollinate Paramount Farming Co.'s 46,000 acres of almond trees.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Max Eggman, a beekeeper from Tulare, Calif. tastes a specialty honey to see if it's authentic. Eggman is part of three generations of beekeepers. He attends a dinner for beekeepers across the country, hosted by beekeeper Mike Mulligan in Shafter, Calif. on Friday, March 1.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Ben Carrillo, manager for Glory Bee in Shafter, Calif., draws a bee on his name tag. Carrillo looks after 6,400 colonies that are rented out to farms like Paramount.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Beekeepers from across the country attend a dinner to talk about trends in their diminishing bee populations. There are 850,000 acres of almond farms in California, producing 80 percent of the country's almonds. "If we don't have bees, we wouldn't have almonds," said Dr. Gordon Wardell.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
For Dr. Gordon Wardell, beekeeping started as a hobby with his stepfather when he was 14. "It turned into a career," said Wardell, who spent 10 years beekeeping throughout Southeast Asia.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Dr. Wardell holds a smoker, which helps to calm honeybees when opening crates that contain colonies. Most of the 92,000 rented bees at Paramount Farms come from more than 15 different states.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Dr. Gordon Wardell smokes a hive box before opening it. As many as 20,000 to 30,000 bees live in each of the white hive boxes.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Dr. Wardell describes pollination as a relationship that developed between honeybees and trees millions of years ago. Once a honeybee pollinates an almond flower, a nut is born. Machines shake each almond tree, and the nuts fall to the ground to dry, then they are harvested.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Honeybees stop for a water break while pollinating almond trees at Paramount Farming Co. Burlap is placed in the water containers to prevent the bees from drowning.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
According to Dr. Wardell, honeybees pollinate one third of everything humans eat, from lettuce to asparagus, zucchini, and other fruits and vegetables.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Jay Lossing, a beekeeper from Riverside, Calif., reads an article from the Bakersfield Californian regarding the bee shortage. Lossing has seen a 50 percent decrease in his bee population since last year.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Mike Mulligan, who hosted a beekeeper's dinner on Friday, March 1 at his home in Shafter, Calif., holds up a collection of articles in the Bakersfield Californian, that he printed for all his guests.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Different varieties of almond flowers are on display during a dinner for beekeepers in Shafter, Calif. hosted by beekeeper Mike Mulligan.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Listen
3:35
Honeybee shortage could harm world's almond supply (Photos)
A nationwide shortage of honeybees could begin harming the global supply of almonds, which are largely grown in California, bee experts say.
A dieoff of the buzzing pollinators from coast to coast, if it continues, could put a strain on almond orchards across the Golden State, which produces 80 percent of the world’s almond crop.
Beekeepers who have suffered plunging bee populations are reporting huge financial losses. Those that had colonies die, are dealing with remaining bees that are very weak.
“Every beekeeper in the United States is trying to increase their colonies to meet that demand and get that big payday, but most of them are barely able to keep their current numbers,” said Joe Traynor, a Bakersfield bee broker who organizes deals between beekeepers and almond farmers. “They are just treading water.”
Traynor said beekeepers are lucky to survive with 30 to 50 percent losses. He said this year was the worst he’s seen in the decades to bring bees to good colony strength for almond pollination.
Gordon Wardell, a bee biologist for California’s largest almond grower, Paramount Farming Co., said some of the beekeepers it works with this year suffered losses.
“Some of the beekeepers that have worked for us had pretty dramatic crashes as well, some have lost 30, 50 percent, some as much as 60 percent of their bees,” Wardell said.
Sponsored message
Wardell said the plunge in honeybee production is being caused by a variety of factors, from the drought in the Midwest, parasitic mites that feed on bee blood, and an unusually cold snap earlier this winter in California.
Every year, 75 percent of the national supply of honeybees is trucked in from places like New York, the Dakotas and Florida to pollinate the 780,000 acres of almond groves in California—an area roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island. Bee experts say about 1.6 million hives are needed to pollinate the crop, but this year, they estimate the bees fell short.
Without bees, there would be no almonds. And the bees are falling behind, even as almond demand is soaring worldwide, from China to India. The desire for the tree nut has boomed as California farmers marketed almonds as a healthy snack.
Almonds are now California’s largest agricultural export, valued at nearly $4 billion in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“It looks like we’ve promoted almonds to the point where we need to start promoting bees,” said Mike Mason, a member of the board of directors for the Almond Board of California, a trade group.
Other farming trends are making the future tough for bees. Many farmers have been preferring to grow corn in recent years, inspired by the demand for corn-based ethanol for fuel. But corn doesn’t provide flowers for bees to feed on, cutting out an important food source for bees between seasons.
The dilemma of the beekeepers caused dozens of them to meet on a recent Friday night at a beekeeper’s home in Shafter in the San Joaquin Valley. The home was surrounded by a grove of flowering almond trees.
Sponsored message
As the beekeepers met for a dinner of pasta and chicken, there were no easy answers.
David Bradshaw, a second-generation beekeeper from Visalia, drove more than an hour to this meeting to commiserate. He says he lost half a million dollars recently when he saw his bee population plunge by 40 percent.
“Everyone is just full of questions,” Bradshaw said.
Not all almond farms are in trouble. As California’s largest almond grower, Paramount Farming Company’s Lost Hills orchard in Kern County was able to find enough bees. During a tour of its farm, as many as 20,000 to 30,000 bees live in each of the white hive boxes, each containing frames that hold bees and their eggs, pupa and larva.
They buzz toward the bright white blossoms that dot rows upon rows of almond trees.
Some farmers hold out hope that this year’s crop will manage to eke out a decent almond supply. But all bets are off for future seasons if the bee shortage worsens.
Wardell, the bee biologist, said if the almond industry is to thrive, it needs to find ways to keep the bee population alive.
Sponsored message
“It’s our responsibility as stewards of the bees to figure out about what’s going on and bring them back into balance,” Wardell said.
IT’S BEEN A TOUGH YEAR FOR NUTS | PREVIOUSLY ON KPCC
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
