Bee Farmers in Kentucky see decline in bee populations

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- Love them or hate them, bees play a vital role in our ecosystem and lately their populations have been declining. That’s why beekeepers from all over the country attended the Heartland Apiculture Society conference Monday on the Western Kentucky University campus, learning how to keep bees healthy and thriving.

If you’ve eaten an apple, some almonds or broccoli lately, you can thank honeybees for that. As their populations decline, bee farming experts say there’s a greater risk of food loss.

The worst honeybee hive loss on record happened last winter.  Beekeepers reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture a 40% loss of their colonies over the past year.

In Warren County, there are several reasons for the loss of bees.

Fewer flowers and disease have hurt the bee population.

And if you mow your lawn and dig up weeds, that could also be contributing to the decline in bees.

The Heartland Apicultural Society Conference goes until Wednesday.