During the month of October 2024, the Minnesota Honey Producers Association sponsored an educational series of episodes exploring the habitat crisis.
As beekeepers, we are acutely aware of the challenges that honey bees face in our rapidly changing world. However, the pressing issue of habitat loss and its impact on honey bee nutrition and health is perhaps one of the most significant, yet under-discussed, factors contributing to declining bee populations and reduced honey yields. In October 2024, the Beekeeping Today Podcast aired a four-part series exploring this crisis in depth, featuring leading experts like Dr. Gabriela Quinlan, Dr. Andony Melathopoulos, Dr. Diana Cox-Foster, and representatives from the Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund.
These discussions laid bare the stark reality of the habitat crisis while offering hope through actionable solutions that beekeepers, landowners, and policymakers can implement to help our bees—and other pollinators—thrive.
We encourage you to listen to each of these special episodes.
- Habitat Crisis #1 - Dr. Gabriela Quinlan: https://beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/299
- Habitat Crisis #2 - Dr. Andony Melathopoulos: https://beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/300
- Habitat Crisis #3 - Dr. Diana Cox Foster: https://beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/301
- Habitat Crisis #4 - Pete Berthelsen and Zac Browning: https://beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/302
The habitat crisis may seem overwhelming, but as these experts in the Beekeeping Today Podcast series have shown, there are tangible steps that we can take to address it. By restoring diverse habitats, supporting conservation efforts, and using innovative tools like Beescape, we can help reverse the trends of declining bee populations and honey yields.
As beekeepers, we have a unique responsibility and opportunity to be part of the solution. Whether through planting bee-friendly crops, advocating for conservation programs, or simply raising awareness, every effort counts. The future of our bees—and the ecosystems they support—depends on it.