Why It Matters

Beekeepers and crop growers have been stung by the loss of honey bees to Colony Collapse Disorder and other ailments. But why should the rest of us care? Consider these facts:

• Honey bee pollination is credited with helping to produce a third of the nation’s diet.
  
• More than 3.5 million acres of crops in the United States depend on honey bees for pollination.
  
• Crops that require or benefit from honey bee pollination include apples, peaches, pears, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peppers, squash, soybeans, almonds, cashews, and sunflowers.
  
• Nationwide, honey bee pollination is worth about $15 billion to the food supply.
  
• Honey bee pollination contributes about $65 million to the value of crops in Pennsylvania.
  
• Pennsylvania’s $51 million apple crop—the fourth largest in the country— is completely dependent on insects for pollination, and 90 percent of that pollination comes from honey bees. The value of honey bee pollination to the state’s apple crop is nearly $46 million.
  
• Honey bees also pollinate many native plants in the ecosystem.
  
• More than 700 tons of honey is produced in Pennsylvania annually.

Source: Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium