Food · Facts & sources
6 sourced facts about honey and honey bees, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
AnswerNorth Dakota (30.8 million pounds)
North Dakota had 460,000 honey-producing colonies, more than any other single state.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Honey report (2025) usda.library.cornell.edu
Answer1500s and 1600s, from Europe
Honey bees aren't native to the New World, but many crops they pollinate also came from the Old World.
Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service, Honey Bee Health ars.usda.gov
Answer$3.05 per pound
Prices jumped 27% from $2.41 per pound in 2024.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Honey report (2025) usda.library.cornell.edu
Answer48.0 pounds
Yields vary a lot by state: Mississippi colonies averaged 89 pounds, while Oregon's averaged 27.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Honey report (2025) usda.library.cornell.edu
Answer2.41 million
The count was down 7% from 2024.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Honey report (2025) usda.library.cornell.edu
Answer21.1% (winter 2025–26)
In winter 2025–26, 48% of surveyed beekeepers reported losses above this threshold.
Source: Apiary Inspectors of America / Auburn University, US Beekeeping Survey apiaryinspectors.org