Tennessee's number of honeybee colonies is growing
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Honeybees have made a big comeback since the colony collapse crisis of the early 2000s. Now, these tiny creatures are the fastest-growing type of livestock in the country.
By the numbers: In Tennessee, the number of farms with honeybee colonies grew 7% in five years, from 2,674 in 2017 to 2,862 in 2022, per the USDA Census of Agriculture.
- Growth was even faster nationwide, growing by more than 21%.
Zoom in: The number of Tennessee farm colonies themselves grew from 18,663 in 2017 to 24,212 in 2022.
Yes, but: Research also suggests that despite recent increases in honeybee populations, honey yields in the U.S. have been decreasing since the 1990s because of changing climates and decreased soil productivity.
Go deeper: U.S. bee farms are buzzing