As "Charlie Bee Company" Highlights Beekeepers' Work, Industry Faces Unprecedented Collapse

The beekeeping industry is reeling from alarming reports of massive bee die-offs, threatening pollination efforts and agricultural stability across the U.S. Recent investigations reveal a shocking number of colony losses, with some beekeepers reporting losses as high as 70-100%. These unprecedented die-offs could have catastrophic consequences for food production and biodiversity.

Charlie Bee Company - a documentary TV series produced by iniosante dedicated to beekeeping, honeybee conservation, and the people who work with bees - highlights the vital role of pollinators in our ecosystem. Season 1 aired on both PBS and EarthX. The show's upcoming Season 2 - which has yet to air in the U.S. - features an episode exploring commercial beekeeping and the mass migration of bees into California's Central Valley for almond pollination, highlighting the work of commercial beekeeper Blake Shook. The latest revelations from Blake's beekeeping operations about widespread colony losses make this issue even more urgent.

"This is devastating news for beekeepers everywhere," said Charlie Agar, host of Charlie Bee Company and longtime beekeeper. "We know honeybee populations have struggled due to pesticides, habitat loss, and disease, but the scale of these new losses—some beekeepers losing nearly all their colonies—is beyond anything we've seen before. It should be a wake-up call."

Executive Producer Ashley Scott Davison also expressed deep concern: "As filmmakers, we've become passionate about honeybees and the people who dedicate their lives to them. To hear of such unprecedented losses, especially after covering this so closely in our show, is heartbreaking. Bees are the backbone of agriculture: one out of every three bites of food we consume is thanks to the bees. To say that this is concerning is an understatement."

Survey results (Project Apis m. et al. 2025) indicate that among 234 beekeepers polled, the average recent losses exceed 50%, with an estimated financial impact of over $139 million. Combined with previous losses over the past year, some operations are reporting a total loss rate of 70-100%. This scale of devastation threatens the long-term sustainability of commercial beekeeping and, by extension, food production.

While researchers work to pinpoint the exact causes behind the losses, one thing is clear: the beekeeping industry is at a crossroads. Urgent action is needed to safeguard pollinators and protect food production nationwide.