Ohio winter takes toll on honeybees

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio beekeepers lost 50 to 80 percent of their honeybees over the harsh winter, threatening the farming industry, state agriculture officials say.

Honeybees also have faced increasing numbers of diseases, pests and pesticides that have thinned colonies in recent years, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

This winter’s losses come on top of 30 to 60 percent of bees dying off last year.

“It’s a pretty devastating loss,” said Barry Conrad, a beekeeper in Canal Winchester near Columbus who maintains 76 hives. “It’s been getting worse each year.”

Ohio farmers rely on bees to pollinate more than 70 crops, including apples, strawberries and pumpkins. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says honeybees pollinate more than $14 billion in crops nationwide each year.