Data & Research
The numbers behind the narrative
Everything The Apiary Project publishes is rooted in data - federal datasets, peer-reviewed research, field surveys, and industry reports. This page organizes our analysis by topic and links to the primary sources we draw from. Think of it as our bibliography, our dashboard, and our methodology statement all in one place.
Colony Health & Losses
The central question in American beekeeping: why are we losing 30-45% of managed colonies every year, and what does the trend data actually show?
Key Data Points
Our Analysis
- State of American Beekeeping Annual Report 2025
- Position: The Varroa Crisis & Colony Losses
- What's Really Behind Colony Collapse Disorder
- The Hidden Cost of Lost Bee Colonies
- Why Commercial Beekeepers Are Losing More Colonies
- USDA Colony Loss Surveys and BIP Data
- First-Year Beekeeper Retention Rates
Primary Sources We Use
- USDA NASS Honey Bee Colonies Report (quarterly)
- Bee Informed Partnership Annual Loss Survey
- USDA-APHIS National Honey Bee Survey
- Apiary Inspectors of America colony data
Pesticides & Toxicology
Neonicotinoids, organophosphates, and the growing body of evidence on sublethal effects. The regulatory gap between what the science shows and what policy permits.
Key Data Points
Our Analysis
Primary Sources We Use
- EPA Pollinator Risk Assessment Framework
- EFSA Neonicotinoid Risk Assessments (EU)
- EPA Ecological Incident Information System (EIIS)
- USGS National Water-Quality Assessment pesticide data
Habitat & Native Pollinators
Four thousand native bee species, 150 million acres of habitat lost, and data gaps large enough to hide an extinction.
Key Data Points
Our Analysis
Primary Sources We Use
- USDA Forest Service pollinator monitoring data
- USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab
- Xerces Society Red List assessments
- USDA Farm Service Agency CRP enrollment data
- National Land Cover Database (NLCD)
Economics & Industry
The $20 billion pollination economy, the honey fraud crisis, and the business model that turns beekeepers into trucking companies.
Key Data Points
Our Analysis
Primary Sources We Use
- USDA NASS Honey Report (annual)
- USDA Foreign Agricultural Service import/export data
- US International Trade Commission honey trade data
- FDA import alerts and enforcement reports
Our Methodology
Source hierarchy
We prioritize peer-reviewed research and federal data over industry reports, industry reports over anecdotal evidence, and direct observation over secondhand accounts. When sources conflict, we report the conflict rather than choosing a side.
Uncertainty reporting
When data is incomplete - and in pollinator science it frequently is - we quantify the uncertainty. "23-57% decline" is more honest than "40% decline" when the range reflects genuine measurement variation across studies. We use ranges, confidence intervals, and explicit caveats.
Living documents
Our analysis pages are updated when new data is published or when errors are identified. Issue pages carry revision dates. Significant changes are noted. Outdated claims are corrected, not quietly removed - transparency about what changed and when is non-negotiable.