The Impact of Precipitation and Temperature on Honey Yield in the United States

Abstract

This thesis examines what effect climatic factors such as precipitation, maximum temperature levels, and minimum temperature levels throughout the U.S., have on honey yield. Using Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) survey data accompanied with climate data from across the U.S., and honey yield data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), we examine the effect of monthly average precipitation and temperature on honey yield. We constructed two models to test these effects. In our first model, we found that the race of the bees, the age of the queen, the experience of the beekeepers, one precipitation, and one temperature variable were significant. In our second, fixed effect, model, we found that the year, both Growing Degree Day (GDD) variables, and two of the precipitation variables were significant.