Bee Powered
Bee Powered: how to keep bees healthy for good
Between April 2025 and April 2026, U.S. beekeepers lost an estimated 39.9% of their colonies, after two record years above 55%. Bees can recover when people give them food, homes and fewer poisons. Here is what each of us can do, from a windowsill to a thousand acres.
Updated 2026-11-10 · Fact-checked against the sources listed at the end.
Why it matters right now
of managed U.S. colonies lost, April 2025 to April 2026.
Source: U.S. Beekeeping Survey
yearly loss rate beekeepers consider sustainable.
Source: American Honey Producers Association
Honey bees are only part of the story. Native bees, which do much of the pollination of wild plants and many crops, face the same pressures, and several species are endangered. The good news: the actions that help one help the other.
Everyone
- Plant flowers that bloom from early spring to late fall; native species first. Garden guide →
- Skip pesticides, and never spray flowering plants.
- Leave bare soil, leaf litter and hollow stems through winter; about 70% of native bees nest in the ground.
- Set out a shallow water dish with pebbles.
- Buy honey from local, registered beekeepers.
- Call a local beekeepers' club for swarms instead of an exterminator.
Homeowners, HOAs and businesses
- Convert part of a lawn to a pollinator meadow or let clover bloom.
- Mow less often and higher; dandelions and clover are early bee food.
- Choose native shrubs and trees: they feed far more bees than many ornamentals.
- If you hire landscapers, ask for bee-safe practices in writing.
Gardeners
- Plant in clumps of at least a few feet across so bees can find them.
- Choose single, open flowers over "double" varieties.
- Grow herbs and let them flower: thyme, oregano, basil, mint.
- Avoid plants pre-treated with systemic insecticides; ask the nursery.
Farmers and growers
- Plant hedgerows, field borders and flowering cover crops (clover, buckwheat, phacelia).
- Follow label bee warnings; apply in the evening when bees aren't flying, and avoid drift onto blooming weeds.
- Talk with nearby beekeepers before spraying; voluntary mapping tools such as FieldWatch's BeeCheck help applicators find hives.
- Ask the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service about cost-share programs for pollinator habitat.
Beekeepers
- Test for varroa mites at least monthly in season, and treat on a plan. How →
- Rotate mite treatments with different modes of action to slow resistance.
- Requeen with mite-resistant or locally adapted stock.
- Register your hives with your state and report diseases like American foulbrood.
- Take the U.S. Beekeeping Survey each April so researchers can track losses.
- Renew old comb every few years to reduce pathogen and chemical buildup.
Schools, cities and policy
- Plant roadsides, parks and school grounds with native flowers.
- Adopt integrated pest management for public land.
- Fund university bee labs and extension programs.
- Join a citizen science project like Bumble Bee Watch or iNaturalist to map bees.
- Celebrate National Pollinator Week each June.
Groups doing the work
Support, follow or volunteer with organizations working on bee health: the Honey Bee Health Coalition, Project Apis m., the Xerces Society, the Pollinator Partnership, your state beekeepers' association, and university bee labs such as those at Auburn, Florida, Penn State and UC Davis.
Earn the Gardener and Pledge badges in your Bee Passport by planting for pollinators. Take the pledge →
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to help bees?
Grow flowers that bloom from spring to fall, preferably native, avoid pesticides, and leave nesting spots like bare soil and hollow stems. If you keep bees, managing varroa mites is the most important thing you can do.
Does buying honey help bees?
Buying honey from local beekeepers supports the people who care for colonies and keep beekeeping viable. It doesn't directly help wild native bees, which need habitat.
Are honey bees endangered?
No. Managed honey bees are not endangered, though beekeepers lose many colonies every year. Some wild bees are endangered, including the rusty patched bumble bee and several Hawaiian yellow-faced bees.
Sources
- Auburn University, Oregon State University & Apiary Inspectors of America, U.S. Beekeeping Survey 2025–26 (June 2026)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service (2025)
- Xerces Society, pollinator habitat and nesting resources
- Honey Bee Health Coalition, varroa management guide
- USDA NRCS, pollinator conservation programs
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, endangered bee listings