Posted: January 9, 2025
Study explores why bees produce less.
Photo: Penn State
Honey yields in the United States have been declining since the 1990s. A new study conducted by Penn State researchers has uncovered clues to the mystery.
Using five decades of data from across the U.S., College of Agricultural Sciences researchers analyzed factors that might affect flower numbers in different regions — and, by extension, the amount of honey produced by honey bees.
They found that changes in honey yields were connected to herbicide application and land use. Annual weather anomalies also contributed.
"It's unclear how climate change will continue to affect honey production, but our findings may help to predict these changes," said Gabriela Quinlan, lead author on the study and a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Entomology and Penn State's Center for Pollinator Research.
—Katie Bohn
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