Headlines often suggest that rising honeybee numbers mean the “bee crisis” is over. This article explains why that conclusion doesn’t hold up: Are bees booming or dying off? - by Hannah Ritchie
Claims that “there are more bees than ever” often rely on data showing rising numbers of managed honeybee hives and increased honey production. While this data is reliable, it reflects a single farmed species, Apis mellifera, which functions more like livestock than wildlife. Rising honeybee numbers therefore say little about the health of wild bee species, which number in the thousands. Evidence from local and regional studies, as well as one global analysis, suggests wild bees are in decline. Confusing managed honeybees with wild pollinators risks dismissing real biodiversity loss—and may even mask pressures that honeybees themselves place on wild species.Read the full article via the link above.