Save the Bee
Bees are essential to life as we know it,
and they are dying at unprecedented rates.
Shop the Save the Bee Store and Make an Impact
Honey Bee Colony Loss
From April 2022 to April 2023, beekeepers across the U.S. reported losing nearly 50% of their hives – the highest number in more than a decade and nearly 10% greater than last year’s loss average, according to the Bee Informed Partnership.
Figure 1. Seasonal managed honey bee colony loss rates in the United States across years. The loss rate was calculated as the total number of colonies lost divided by the number of colonies at risk during the season. Source: Bee Informed Partnership
Healthy Bees, Healthy Humans
Almonds, blueberries, apples, cherries and more – honey bees pollinate 80% of flowering plants in the U.S. In fact, one-third of our diet – our favorite foods that keep us healthy and happy – needs bees to grow.
It is not just fruits and vegetables that are at risk of disappearing from our plates. The decline in the bee population also can affect the availability of meat and dairy as bees pollinate the plants cows, sheep, and goats like to eat, too.
From bringing us the foods we eat, and oils we use to cook, to the fibers in the clothes we wear, honey bees are vital to human wellbeing.
Bees are also an important economic driver. Honey bees add $15 billion a year to the U.S. economy, according to the USDA. The sale of honey contributes another $3.2 million annually. (Currently, the US only produces only 25% of the honey it needs to satisfy demand.)
Did you know?
Honey bees pollinate more than 130 different fruits and veggies.
In total, pollinators contribute $200 billion annually to the U.S. economy, mainly in agriculture.
Honey ranks as America’s #1 preferred sweetener due to the health and ecological benefits.
Become a Bee-Keeper
- Unique True Source Honey delivered to you 3x per year
- Bee-Friendly seed packet to plant your own pollinator garden
- Access to special Bee-Keeper webinars, program updates and more…
- Access to limited “I am a Bee-Keeper” community, products and specials coming soon.
From the Blog
BECOME A BEE-KEEPER
No fancy bee suit required.
Bee-Keepers….
- plant and tend pollinator gardens big and small,
- fund bee research,
- shop local,
- let weeds bloom so bees are healthy,
- teach their kids (and other adults also) about importance of our pollinators, and sometimes…they even wear a fancy bee suit.
Your Impact
Plant
Planted nearly 500,000 square feet of pollinator habitat on farms, ranches, parks, and vineyards
Invest
Funded best practices research, resulting in annual savings of $5 million for Oregon’s beekeeping industry
Innovate
Supported the development of an app to help farmers avoid harmful pesticides when bees are pollinating
Advocate
Advocated for the successful phase out of the hazardous pesticide chlorpyrifos in Oregon
Guide
Trained 60 growers to create pollinator habitat for foraging bees on their organic farms
Inform
Educated more than 3,000 bee-lovers to become good stewards of pollinators in their communities
