LUBBOCK, TX – The USDA’s latest Honey Bee Colonies Report shows mixed trends in colony health and management for operations with five or more hives. As of January 1, 2025, the U.S. had 2.63 million colonies, down 1 percent from the previous year. By April 1, that number rose to 2.99 million.
Colony losses remained steady, with 10 percent lost in both the first and second quarters of 2025. The highest loss rate in 2024 occurred in the fourth quarter, when 14 percent of colonies were lost. Additions outpaced losses early in 2025, with over 592,000 colonies added in Q1 and more than 641,000 in Q2.
Renovations—such as requeening or adding nucleus colonies—spiked in the second quarter of 2025, reaching 16 percent of operations. That’s the highest quarterly renovation rate recorded over the past two years.
Varroa mites continued to be the leading stressor, affecting 27 to 30 percent of colonies in early 2025. Meanwhile, colonies lost with Colony Collapse Disorder symptoms more than doubled year-over-year in Q1, jumping 110 percent.