The 2026 Bee Crisis: What's Happening and How You Can Help

U.S. beekeepers lost 55.6% of their managed colonies from April 2024 to April 2025, according to the U.S. Beekeeping Survey from Auburn University and the Apiary Inspectors of America. That is a heavy loss, and it is also not the whole story. If you want to help, you can donate to bee conservation in the Sacramento region, plant for bees, or use the steps later in this article.

The stakes are real. Bees, both honey bees and the many native bee species in North America, pollinate crops we eat, including almonds, apples, blueberries, and avocados. The USDA estimates the economic value of honey bee pollination at more than $15 billion a year in the United States.

Are bees endangered in 2026?

Managed U.S. honey bees are not endangered: USDA counted 2.81 million colonies on January 1, 2026, up 6% from a year earlier, even though beekeepers lost 55.6% of managed colonies from April 2024 to April 2025 and rebuild by splitting them.

Wild species are a different story. The rusty patched (2017) and Franklin's (2021) bumble bees are federally endangered, and more than a quarter of North American bumble bee species face some extinction risk (Xerces Society / IUCN).

In Europe, wild Western honey bee populations were assessed as Endangered within the EU in an October 2025 IUCN update; that covers free-living colonies in the EU, not managed hives.

What Is Driving the Bee Decline?

No single cause explains the crisis. The science is clear that multiple stressors interact and compound each other — a colony weakened by pesticide exposure is far more vulnerable to disease, and a colony that's been moved across the country for commercial pollination has less resilience against either. Here are the four major drivers.

Pesticides — Especially Neonicotinoids

Neonicotinoids are a class of systemic insecticides that are absorbed by plants and expressed in pollen and nectar. Bees that forage on treated plants don't die immediately, but they experience neurological disruption that impairs navigation, memory, and immune function. Sub-lethal exposure makes them worse at finding their way back to the hive, less effective at foraging, and more susceptible to disease. The EU banned outdoor use of three major neonicotinoids in 2018. The U.S. has moved more slowly, though California's AB 363 limited many non-agricultural outdoor uses to licensed dealers and certified applicators starting January 1, 2025.

Habitat Loss and Forage Scarcity

Bees need diverse, continuous forage throughout the growing season. Suburban sprawl, industrial agriculture, and the replacement of wildflower meadows with manicured lawns have eliminated vast stretches of habitat. In the Central Valley alone, monoculture farming has replaced millions of acres of native vegetation. When almond bloom ends in March, honeybees trucked in for pollination face a forage cliff — nothing to eat for weeks until the next crop comes in.

Varroa Destructor and Disease

Varroa mites are parasitic mites that attach to honeybees and their larvae, feeding on fat bodies and transmitting viruses. First detected in the U.S. in 1987, varroa is now present in virtually every managed colony in the country. Without treatment, a colony typically dies within one to three years. The mite has decimated feral honeybee populations and created an ongoing management burden for beekeepers. Resistance to common miticides is also growing.

Climate Change

Climate change is disrupting the timing relationships that bees and flowering plants evolved together over millions of years. When spring comes three weeks earlier but bees emerge on the same schedule they've followed for generations, they miss the peak bloom. Drought reduces nectar production even in plants that do flower. Extreme heat events directly kill bees and destroy brood. California has seen multiple years of severe drought that have dramatically reduced wildflower abundance in foothills and grasslands.

What Is Being Done to Help Bees?

There is genuine progress alongside the concerning data. Understanding what's working helps direct attention and resources where they'll have the most impact.

• The U.S. Beekeeping Survey from Auburn University and the Apiary Inspectors of America tracks colony losses each year, which gives researchers and policymakers data on the scale of the problem.
• Several states have adopted pollinator protection plans that restrict pesticide applications during bloom periods and require buffer zones around apiaries.
• The Honey Bee Health Coalition has produced practical guides on varroa control for beekeepers.
• Urban beekeeping and rooftop gardens have expanded forage availability in cities, where bees often do better than in monoculture agricultural landscapes.
• Swarm reporting and live-removal programs help relocate colonies that might otherwise be exterminated.

What Can You Do to Help Bees?

Individual action is meaningful — not because any one yard changes national trends, but because collective behavior at scale does. Here's where your time and money have real leverage.

Plant Native Flowers

Native plants evolved with native bees and provide the pollen and nectar profiles those bees need. California poppies, coyote mint, buckwheat, and native sages are drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and bloom across multiple seasons. Even a single large planting of lavender or phacelia in a yard surrounded by concrete provides meaningful forage. Our guides to native plants Sacramento bees depend on and building a bee-friendly garden walk through exactly what to plant and when.

Stop Using Systemic Pesticides

Most common lawn and garden pesticides — including many sold at hardware stores under innocuous brand names — are toxic to bees. Systemic pesticides are particularly dangerous because they persist in plant tissue. If you must treat for pests, choose non-systemic, least-toxic options and apply at dusk when bees are not actively foraging. Avoid treating flowering plants entirely.

Report Swarms Instead of Exterminating Them

A swarm of bees — that cloud of bees temporarily clustered on a tree branch or fence — is a living colony looking for a new home. It is not aggressive. Calling an exterminator costs money and kills bees that could be rehomed. We offer free live bee removal in the Greater Sacramento region. If you see a swarm, report it to us. Call us and we'll tell you when we can get there.

Support Pollinator Conservation Organizations

Nonprofits working on bee removal, habitat, and education depend on community support. The Xerces Society, Project Apis m., and local groups like The Bee Conservatory are some of the options. Before you give to anyone, use our guide on how to choose a charity. If you want something more hands-on, see sponsoring a hive or volunteering.

Talk to Your Neighbors and Local Government

Pesticide use on a neighbor's property doesn't stay on their property — it moves through the soil, water, and foraging routes of every bee in the area. Talking with neighbors and local officials about pesticide use and native plantings is a good place to start.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Bee Crisis

Are bees endangered in 2026?

Managed U.S. honey bees are not endangered: USDA counted 2.81 million colonies on January 1, 2026, up 6% from a year earlier, even though beekeepers lost 55.6% of managed colonies from April 2024 to April 2025 and rebuild by splitting them. Wild species are a different story. The rusty patched (2017) and Franklin's (2021) bumble bees are federally endangered, and more than a quarter of North American bumble bee species face some extinction risk (Xerces Society / IUCN). In Europe, wild Western honey bee populations were assessed as Endangered within the EU in an October 2025 IUCN update; that covers free-living colonies in the EU, not managed hives.

What is causing the 2026 bee crisis?

No single factor causes the bee crisis. Four stressors interact and compound each other: pesticides (especially neonicotinoids), habitat loss and forage scarcity, the parasitic varroa mite and the viruses it spreads, and climate change disrupting the timing between bee emergence and flower bloom. A colony weakened by one stressor becomes far more vulnerable to the others.

How many bee colonies are dying?

U.S. beekeepers lost 55.6% of their managed colonies from April 2024 to April 2025, according to Auburn University and the Apiary Inspectors of America. Beekeepers rebuild by splitting colonies, so total U.S. colony numbers have not collapsed: USDA counted 2.81 million on January 1, 2026.

Why do bees matter to the food supply?

Bees pollinate many of the crops we eat, including almonds, apples, blueberries, and avocados. The USDA estimates the economic value of honey bee pollination at more than $15 billion a year in the United States. For more detail, see our guide on why bees matter to California's food supply.

What can I do to help bees in Sacramento?

Plant native flowers Sacramento bees depend on, stop using systemic pesticides, report swarms for free live relocation instead of exterminating them, and support pollinator conservation groups. If you find a swarm on your property, The Bee Conservatory offers free live bee removal in the Greater Sacramento region. You can also volunteer with us or sponsor a hive.

Heavy colony losses are real, and so is the risk to some wild bees. The actions that help are clear, and they start at the local level. What happens in your yard, your neighborhood, and your city adds up.