APHIS Honey Bee Survey Reports

Background

The USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Honey Bee Survey (NHBS), is a comprehensive examination of colonies throughout the US. The Survey began in 2009 to address the emerging concern about diminishing health in honey bees and invasive threats to honey bees, including Tropilaelaps clareae, Apis cerana, and Slow Bee Paralysis Virus. For more information about this program, see and the USDA APHIS website. ushoneybeehealthsurvey.info and the USDA APHIS website.

How to access data

This page dynamically queries the Bee Informed Partnership database, where the APHIS NHBS data is also stored, to bring you results filtered to the calendar year and state where samples were taken. By selecting a year and a state, you can view all the data collected that year and in that state. Here are some essential tips:

  • You can change the year by using the pull down menu located directly under the map
  • You can hover over a specific state to view that year’s average Varroa data and the number of samples taken.
  • You can hover over any data in the graphs to view specific data and sample size
  • All graphs on this page can be downloaded by clicking the “hamburger menu” () at the upper right of each graph. Once downloaded, you can paste into presentations or reports.
  • You can view a more detailed, specific state’s data by clicking on that state in the map. When you do this, an entirely new state report will open and you will be able to view all the data (Varroa, Nosema, viral and pesticides) for that state in that year. To change years, return to “map view” and change the year located under the map and select the state again.
  • Please note that if you choose 2016 or earlier, the pesticide results shown will be for Bee Bread only. If you choose 2018 or later, the pesticide results will show only Wax. In 2017, we switched from Bee Bread to Wax for residue analysis. In 2017 only, you will get both Bee Bread and Wax results.
  • You may download the data used for this data explorer by clicking here and filling out the request form. You will be asked to create an account and login first.

Varroa samples are collected as a composite sample from a single apiary.

Nosema samples are collected as a composite sample from a single apiary.


Honey Bee Pathogens

ABPVAcute Bee Paralysis Virus
BQCVBlack Queen Cell Virus
CBPVChronic Bee Paralysis Virus
DWV-ADeformed Wing Virus A (formerly DWV)
DWV-BDeformed Wing Virus B (formerly VDV)
IAPVIsraeli Acute Paralysis Virus
KBVKashmir Bee Virus
LSV2Lake Sinai Virus 2
SBVSacbrood Virus
SBPVSlow Bee Paralysis Virus
MKVMoku Virus
Nosema ceranaeunicellular gut parasite that causes Nosema disease

Molecular

Molecular pathogen samples are collected as a composite sample from a single apiary. The molecular pathogen prevalence chart compares a selected year to the percentage of samples with a positive detection for all years since 2013. Due to improvements in the molecular techniques in 2013 that made US data comparable internationally, those are the only data used as the national average. For data collected previous to 2013, we still show the prevalence of these samples per state and those are still compared to improved (>2013) molecular data. To see pathogen prevalence mapped per state, see our Virus Map.


Pesticide Samples

The pesticide samples are collected from wax combs or bee bread and are a composite sample from a single apiary. Prior to 2018, bee bread (stored pollen) was used for pesticide samples. During 2017 to 2019, samples are taken from wax combs. The charts below indicate if their source was from either wax or bee bread. The “n” values per pie piece are the total number of pesticides found within the category. Since each sample often contain multiple pesticide detects, the total number of detects will be greater than the total number of samples.

A table and list of all pesticides found and tested for in either wax or bee bread can be found at the following links.
National Honey Bee Survey Bee Bread Pesticide Sampling Report
National Honey Bee Survey Wax Pesticide Sampling Report

Bee Bread Pesticide Sample Summary



Wax Pesticide Sample Summary



Bee Informed Partnership Copyright and Reproduction Agreement: Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) is responsible for all source data and holds the copyright for all information presented here. All of the results generated by BIP and published here represent an unbiased assessment of any product or process, and BIP results are not endorsements of commercial products, protocols, or services. Unless stated otherwise, BIP supports the reproduction and reuse of these results, publications and figures for scientific and educational purposes, at no cost, provided that BIP’s ownership, copyright and non-endorsement status are acknowledged. When citing any of the information, figures, or other material sourced from the BIP website, unless it has been published elsewhere as a journal article, please also include in your citation: the year published (when available), title, web address and date obtained.