Climate Change Impacts on Beekeeping and Pollination Services

Climate change is reshaping the environmental and biological contexts in which managed and wild pollinators operate, with profound consequences for both apiculture and ecosystem services. Rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns and an increase in extreme weather events are driving shifts in the timing of floral blooms and disrupting synchrony between bees and their forage. Warmer autumns and milder winters can extend flight periods, skew the age structure of overwintering populations and increase spring colony losses. At the same time, heatwaves and drought stress reduce nectar and pollen availability, heightening nutritional stress and vulnerability to pathogens and parasites. These developments threaten honey production, diminish the resilience of beekeeping enterprises and pose risks of pollination deficits for crops and wild flora globally. Adaptive strategies—including targeted hive management, landscape diversification and cold-storage interventions—are emerging to mitigate impacts and sustain pollination services under changing climatic regimes.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have used simulation models to examine how warmer autumns and winters affect honey bee colony dynamics. Projections indicate that extended flight activity late in the season alters the structure of the overwintering cluster, leading to a predominance of older bees and elevated spring mortality rates. Experimental scenarios suggest that relocating colonies to controlled cold-storage environments can partially offset these effects, although optimal protocols remain to be established. Earlier work employed machine-learning approaches to assess the influence of summer weather anomalies on winter survival in temperate regions. Results revealed that growing degree days and precipitation during the warmest quarter are key predictors of overwinter success, underscoring the interdependence of seasonal conditions across the year. Both lines of inquiry highlight the need for adaptive management tailored to regional climate trajectories.

Climate Change Impacts on Beekeeping and Pollination Services publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in climate change impacts on beekeeping and pollination services across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Overwintering: The survival strategy of honey bee colonies during winter months, often involving clustered thermoregulation.

Pollination services: The transfer of pollen by animals or abiotic agents, enabling plant fertilisation and fruit set.

Phenology: The study of the timing of seasonal biological events, such as flowering and bee emergence.

Floral resources: The availability of nectar and pollen in the environment, which provides nutrition for pollinators.

References

1. Evaluating environmental, weather, and management influences for sustainable beekeeping in California and Quebec: Enhancing beehive survival predictions. Journal of Environmental Management (2024).
2. Beekeeping in Europe facing climate change: A mixed methods study on perceived impacts and the need to adapt according to stakeholders and beekeepers. The Science of The Total Environment (2023).
3. Examining spatial and temporal drivers of pollinator nutritional resources: evidence from five decades of honey bee colony productivity data. Environmental Research Letters (2023).
4. Warmer autumns and winters could reduce honey bee overwintering survival with potential risks for pollination services. Scientific Reports (2024).
5. Summer weather conditions influence winter survival of honey bees (Apis mellifera) in the northeastern United States. Scientific Reports (2021).