Why Does Bee Health Matter? The Science Surrounding Honey Bee Health Concerns and What We Can Do About It

CAST Commentaries - QTA2017-1 - June 2017
Download Publication Download Ag quickCAST

Pollinators are responsible for about 1/3 of our human diet by volume. Although honey bees are one of nearly 20,000 bee species, they support more than $19B in food and crop production in the United States each year. A serious decline in honey bee health has significant implications for agriculture. This paper provides a summary of the scientific issues, current research, and recommendations related to bee health, as well as opportunities for beekeepers, land managers, crop producers, homeowners, and policymakers to engage in helping understand and address the problems to ultimately restore healthy populations of honey bees and other pollinators.

Chair: Marla Spivak, University of Minnesota. QTA2017-1, 16 pp., June 2017, Available free online.

Publication Impact Report (Final) – June 2019

Task Force Chair

Marla Spivak

Task Force Author(s)

Zac Browning

Mike Goblirsch

Katie Lee

Clint Otto

Matthew Smart

Judy Wu-Smart

Task Force Reviewers

Gerald Hayes

Ramesh Sagili

Dennis vanEngelsdorp

Task Force Board Liaison

Todd Peterson

Help Support CAST

Your donation to CAST helps support the CAST mission of communicating science to meet the challenge of producing enough food, fiber and fuel for a growing population. Every gift, no matter the size, is appreciated.