Wisconsin Honey Bee Colonies
Thursday, August 3rd, 2017 -- 8:00 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -Wisconsin honey bee colonies totaled 18,000 as of April 1--a three percent drop below the same time a year earlier, according to the Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service.Producers boosted their April 1 inventory by moving colonies into Wisconsin and adding colonies to a maximum of 65,000 during the second quarter of this year. Honey bee colonies lost for operations with five or more colonies during the three-month period was 2,900 colonies or four percent--which was the smallest loss in the past six quarters.
Varroa mites have been the main stressor for beekeepers in recent years. Producers reported that the mites affected 13.7 percent of Wisconsin's honey bee colonies this spring.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.