Explore South Central bee news from Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Bee conservation in your region
South Central bee news on honey and habitat
In Texas, high school students turned a bee removal into a school honey business. Meanwhile, New Mexico researchers have explored how climate could change which bees live in the Southwest. Pick a topic below to read the original reporting.
What do Texas honey harvest figures measure?
A honey report separates the number of producing colonies from the average pounds harvested per colony. For example, a bigger harvest can come from more colonies or more honey from each one. First compare the colony counts for the two years. Then check the yield per colony. To learn about wild bees, look for a survey that identifies the species people saw.
USDA Texas agricultural statistics and honey tables (PDF)
Which pollinators is New Mexico tracking?
New Mexico added 94 pollinating insects to its State Wildlife Action Plan in 2025. The state has documented at least 22 species of bumble bees. Observations from the New Mexico Bumble Bee Atlas help biologists learn where those bees live and which flowers they visit.
From the archives
South Central bee news archive
Choose a topic in the archive: honey and weather, wild bees and habitat, or school beekeeping.
Honey harvests and weather
Commissioner Miller Praises the Comeback of Texas Honey
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller credits spring rain and a long wildflower bloom for a stronger honey harvest. Even with that increase, the department reports colony losses from disease, pests and drought.
Texas Department of Agriculture harvest report
Can farming-friendly Texas honeybees thrive in our extreme weather and climate change?
This report follows Texas beekeepers through a wet January. Rain can help spring flowers grow. The timing of blooms affects when colonies have nectar to make honey.
Houston Chronicle weather coverage
Bee farmers experiencing challenges from 2023 severe weather changes
A Louisiana beekeeper explains how a late freeze in March 2023 affected his hives. Because the cold also killed flowering plants, surviving bees had less food.
Louisiana beekeeper interview on KALB
Are Texas bee populations rebounding?
In May 2023, Paul Schattenberg of Texas A&M AgriLife examined how Texas bees were faring after difficult seasons. Compare his reporting with the state honey figures above to see which questions each source can answer.
Texas A&M AgriLife reportWild bees in South Central bee news
Habitat stories track the places bees feed and nest. For example, the Oklahoma guide below explains where a bee house can help. The New Mexico study asks a broader question about how the range of bees might shift over time.
Is New Mexico’s pollinator protection plan bee-hind schedule?
This archived report follows the development of a state pollinator protection plan. It asks how planners weighed the needs of native pollinators and managed honey bees.
Santa Fe New Mexican reporting
UNM alumnus research: Will climate change affect bees in the Southwest?
This story covers a University of New Mexico researcher’s projections for Southwest bee communities. A projection describes what may happen under a set of conditions. By contrast, the atlas records where people have actually seen bees.
Southwest research coverage on KRQE
Bee hotels boost native bee populations in Oklahoma
Oklahoma State University Extension explains which bees use cavities to nest and what to consider before adding a bee house to your yard.
Oklahoma State University nesting guide
Nature Lovers Rejoice: Texas Bill Aims To Help Save the State’s Bees
In March 2023, Simone Carter reported on a proposal by Texas Sen. Judith Zaffirini to encourage the use of native plants. The article describes the bill as it was introduced.
Dallas Observer coverage of the billSchool beekeeping
How Hawkins High students built a honey business
The Hawkins High agriculture and FFA program runs 4-G Honey. In this 2024 report, students explain how they produce honey and then sell it through their school business.
Hawkins High student story on KLTVHave a South Central bee news story to share?
If a local school, beekeeper or research team has reported a story from the region, send us the original link, its date and the state it covers. For coverage outside this region, use the U.S. news map.