Iowa honey production dips to five-year low

Honey production in Iowa fell 20 percent last year to the lowest point since 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Honey from Iowa producers with five or more colonies totaled 1.51 million pounds in 2014, down from the 1.87 million pounds produced in 2013. The number of honey producing colonies in the state fell from 39,000 colonies in 2013 to 35,000 colonies last year.

Yield per colony in Iowa averaged 43 pounds, down from 48 pounds per colony in 2013. The state ranked 19th nationally in honey production last year, unchanged from 2013.

Iowa's 2014 honey crop was valued at $3.78 million, down 18 percent from the previous year's $4.59 million. The average price per pound was $2.51, up 6 cents from 2013.

Andrew Joseph, state apiarist and bee expert, said Iowa's honey bee population was sharply reduced in 2014 by harsh winter weather along with pesticide problems, colony collapse and parasites such as varroa mites.

'We also have a problem in terms of the amount of land used for row crop agriculture and a lack of diversity for bees to find nourishment,” Joseph said.

An average honey bee winter loss is 15 percent to 20 percent in Iowa. Experts compare the numbers from October to April and Joseph said last year it was not uncommon to hear losses of 50 percent to 65 percent.

Looking ahead to this year, Joseph said the honey crop is looking good in terms of preliminary numbers. He said the lack of another harsh winter should enable more colonies to survive and that should boost production.

'We're coming in with some higher bee numbers and there's a lot of new interest in beekeeping,” Joseph said. 'Hopefully they will have several years of success and that will prompt them to increase the number of colonies.”

Iowa's decline in honey production last year contrasted with an increase nationally.

U.S. honey production from producers with five or more colonies totaled 178 million pounds in 2014, up 19 percent from 2013. There were 2.74 million colonies producing honey in 2014, up 4 percent from 2013.

Yield per colony averaged 65.1 pounds, up 15 percent from the 56.6 pounds in 2013.

Honey prices increased to a record high $2.16 per pound last year, up 1 percent from $2.14 per pound in 2013.

North Dakota produced the most honey of any state in 2014 with 42.1 million pounds, up from 33.1 million in 2013. The state's crop was valued at $84.3 million.

Although honey is what honey bees are known for producing, field and horticultural crops, home gardens and plants eaten by wildlife are dependent on bee pollination for the production of their fruits, nuts and seeds.