Almond Milk Is Responsible for the Death of Billions of Bees

Why is almond milk killing bees?

Bees’ mortality rate is due partially to the nature of almond orchards — they are monoculture and lack the diversity that bees need to remain healthy — and to the fact that bees must wake up from their winter dormancy earlier than usual to begin almond pollination. But the biggest culprit is the amount of pesticides used on almonds, and the high concentration of bees during pollination in the almond grove, which facilitates the spread of diseases among them.

“Bees are exposed to all kinds of diseases in California,” said Arp. “There can be hundreds of thousands of hives from multiple beekeepers in one staging area. It is like letting your bees go into a singles bar and then they have unprotected sex.”

With almond milk sales in the US growing 250 percent over the past five years, the life of bees likely won’t get easier anytime soon. But consumers can make a statement by spending their hard-earned dollars in products that are “Bee Better” certified. This label guarantees that the product purchased benefits bees and bee-friendly farmers.