Bees are vital to agriculture, and a recent major weather event had an impact on colonies. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Hurricane Ian was devastating in many ways, including the loss of human life and destruction, and now we’re learning more about its effect on honey bees.
According to a report by the University of Florida, it’s not just Florida’s bees that were affected when Ian tore through the region. They say colonies from around the nation were already in Florida for annual overwintering in the warmer area where food is abundant year-round. They say according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida’s 5,000 registered beekeepers manage about 700,000 colonies.
Many beekeepers, especially in the southwest part of Florida, have lost a significant part of their operation. This might mean not only a loss of honey bee colonies, but also lost equipment, as well as vital infrastructure, such as honey houses and equipment storage units, according to the report.
Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s This Land of Ours program here.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.