National Pollinator Week 2026

National Pollinator Week is a USDA-designated annual observance held the last full week of June. Established by the US Senate in 2007 following the Pollinator Partnership's advocacy, it highlights the ecological and economic role of pollinators — bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and beetles — in food production, ecosystem health, and biodiversity. In 2026, Pollinator Week runs June 22–28.

• Designated by US Senate resolution in 2007 after Pollinator Partnership advocacy
• Held the last full week of June each year — 2026 dates: June 22–28
• Organized by the Pollinator Partnership (P2), the largest nonprofit dedicated exclusively to pollinator health
• Events span all 50 US states plus international observances in Canada, Europe, and Asia-Pacific
• Timed to coincide with peak summer bloom when pollinator activity and visibility are highest

Pollinators are foundational to global food security. The FAO estimates 75% of the world's food crops depend at least partly on animal pollination. In the US alone, honey bee pollination services contribute an estimated $15–20 billion annually to agricultural output. Beyond agriculture, wild pollinators maintain 80–95% of flowering plant reproduction in natural ecosystems.

• 75% of global food crops depend on animal pollination (FAO)
• $15–20 billion annual contribution of honey bee pollination to US agriculture (USDA)
• 1 in 3 bites of food you eat was pollinated by a bee, butterfly, or other animal
• 80–95% of wild flowering plant reproduction depends on animal pollinators
• ~4,000 native bee species in North America alone, most of which do not produce honey
• Monarch butterfly populations declined 80% since the 1990s (Xerces Society)

Pollinator decline is driven by habitat loss, pesticide exposure, pathogens, climate change, and invasive species acting in combination. US managed honey bee colonies experience 30–50% annual losses (Bee Informed Partnership). Native pollinators face even less-documented pressures: unlike honey bees, most native species have no beekeeper to replace lost colonies.

• Habitat loss: conversion of wildflower meadows, hedgerows, and prairie to monoculture reduces forage diversity
• Pesticides: neonicotinoids disrupt bee navigation and immune function at sub-lethal doses (EPA assessment, 2023)
• Varroa destructor: parasitic mite responsible for 30–50% annual managed honey bee colony losses (Bee Informed Partnership)
• Climate change: shifting bloom times create phenological mismatches — pollinators emerge before or after their food plants bloom
• Invasive species: Asian giant hornets and small hive beetles stress colonies already weakened by other factors
• Disease: Nosema, American foulbrood, and deformed wing virus spread rapidly in weakened colonies

Managed honey bee colonies are the best-monitored pollinator population on Earth. Their health serves as an early warning system for broader pollinator stress. When honey bees struggle — higher colony losses, reduced honey yields, migration to urban forage — it signals landscape-level problems that affect all pollinators.

• US managed honey bee colonies: ~2.7 million (USDA NASS), down from 5.9 million in 1947
• 2023-24 winter colony losses: 36.2% (Bee Informed Partnership preliminary data)
• Almond pollination alone requires ~85% of US commercial colonies each February
• Honey yields per colony have declined 35% since the 1990s, reflecting reduced forage quality
• Beekeepers who sell raw honey fund colony management — buying local honey directly supports pollinator health
• Colony health varies by region: wildflower honey from diverse forage areas often signals healthier pollinator landscapes

Many of America's best-known honey varieties are direct byproducts of crop pollination. When beekeepers truck hives to almond groves, citrus orchards, or blueberry fields, the bees produce surplus honey from the crop's blossoms. Buying these honeys rewards the pollination service that makes the food system work.

• Clover honey ($8–15): America's most produced variety — bees forage vast clover seed and forage fields across the Midwest
• Orange blossom honey ($12–20): Byproduct of citrus pollination in Florida and California groves
• Blueberry honey ($15–25): Distinctive fruity tang from managed pollination of Maine and Michigan blueberry crops
• Avocado honey ($15–25): Dark, buttery honey from California avocado pollination
• Buckwheat honey ($15–25): Cover crop that feeds pollinators between cash crop seasons, ORAC 16,000+ antioxidant density
• Wildflower honey ($10–18): Diverse forage landscapes signal healthy pollinator habitat