Gonzales resident abuzz about bee shortage

The Texas drought has impacted the state — including a Gonzales resident’s pumpkin patch.

Last fall, Brian Jurek showed off his pumpkin patch and how it grew larger than it expected. This year, he noticed there weren’t enough bees to spread the pollen around the patch.

“Last year I had this beautiful pumpkin patch and I had hundreds and hundreds of pumpkins,” Jurek said. “This year I got the buyers, I got the vines, I got those, but I did not see bees because it's been too hot.”

Last year, Jurek constantly watered his pumpkin patch, but this year, he didn’t due to the water bill, he said.

Jurek explained that there weren’t enough bees to move pollen around the patch. According to Texas A&M Today, bees are responsible for pollinating 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants and 35 percent of the world’s crops.

The honeybee’s annual contribution to the U.S. economy is at least $15 billion, according to Texas A&M Today, and more than 90 different crops — about one-third of total crop production in the U.S. — depend on bees for their survival.

“They get the pollen and nectar and they'll go out. I’ve talked to a beekeeper and a bee will travel up to two miles looking for nectar in water. If they don't find that, they go back to the hive and that hive can die off in six months,” Jurek said.

The heat is not only killing bees, but also is impacting the way they are flying.

According to Houston 2, fewer flying days impacts mating season and fewer bees could lead to fewer fruits and vegetables that end up costing more in the stores.

“Even the beekeeperss are saying yes, this was a bad year, because if they don't find water nectar, they'll go somewhere else,” Jurek said.

For information regarding bees in Texas, go to Texas Beekeepers Association at their website (https://texasbeekeepers.org/) and Texas A&M AgriLife (https://txbeeinspection.tamu.edu/public/bee-identification/).