Researchers with USDA/ARS feel their research has pinpointed the cause of the recent bee colony collapses.
“Our nation’s food supply thrives, and is sustained, by the work of our pollinators,” said Joon Park, an Acting ARS Administrator, in a Citrus Industry article. Unfortunately, there has been a rash of bee colony collapses in 2025, but researchers with USDA/ARS believe they know why, according to the article. See the details below.
Recent Bee Colony Collapses
According to the article, “In January 2025, beekeepers began reporting severe losses in commercially managed operations. As losses unfolded, it was evident that over 60% of commercial beekeeping colonies had been lost since the prior summer, representing 1.7 million colonies and an estimated financial impact of $600 million.”
So much of our food supply is dependent on commercial bees to pollinate the crops; the article shared that “The primary managed pollinator, Apis mellifera, is an integral component of agriculture, providing key pollination services for a wide variety of crops and over one-third of U.S. produce. The value of crops that require bee pollination is estimated to be more than $20 billion annually in the United States and $387 billion globally.”
Researchers jumped into action. According to the article, “ARS scientists collected colony and bee samples from across California and other western states in February 2025. The USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Mayland analyzed the parasites and pathogens from all samples and focused on individual bees exhibiting behavior known to precede death by minutes or hours.”
Research Results
The researchers “identified high levels of deformed wing virus A and B and acute bee paralysis in all recently USDA-sampled bees. These viruses are responsible for recent honey bee colony collapses and losses across the United States.”
However, the problem is deeper than just the viruses themselves. The article shared that “Since the viruses are known to be spread by parasitic Varroa destructor mites, ARS scientists screened the mites from collapsed colonies and found signs of resistance to amitraz, a critical miticide used widely by beekeepers. This miticide resistance was found in virtually all collected Varroa mites, underscoring the need for new parasitic treatment strategies.”
The viruses were able to infect bee colonies because their host has developed resistance to the miticide used to target them. Park assured that “USDA scientists continue to research major stressors and new parasite treatment strategies, which will help reduce the agricultural challenge presented by the Varroa mites in honey bee colonies.”
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