MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — Indiana has suffered from severe aridity and high temperatures this year, with temperatures taking more of a toll on the honeybees. Indiana honey harvest continues this year despite drought, but it’s next year’s harvest that could be at risk.

Agriculture depends greatly on the honeybee for pollination. Scientifically known as Apis Mellifera, honeybees are environmentally friendly and are vital as pollinators. Honeybees account for 80 percent of all insect pollination, said Tracy Hunter, of Hunter’s Honey Farm in Martinsville. Without such pollination we would see a significant decrease in the yield of fruits and vegetables.

Honeybees are the only insect that produce food for humans, Hunter added. It is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including enzymes, vitamins, minerals and water; and it’s the only food that contains pinocembrin, an antioxidant associated with improved brain function.

With the drought drying up the nectar source and temperatures reaching record highs, it has been a growing concern for honey harvesting in Indiana. One of the state’s oldest and largest honey farms spoke to what is taking place with Indiana’s honeybees and harvested honey.

Hunter’s Honey Farm is family owned and operated. It is the fourth generation of beekeepers who have been producing honey and related products for more than 100 years. Today, Hunter and his family manage 500 hives throughout the state to pollinate apples, melons, strawberries, pumpkins and similar crops.

He travels from Indianapolis to Richmond frequently to check the condition of the honeybees and their hives. Driving from hive to hive, he has seen little clover growing, which is one of the main sources of honey for his farm. Clover and alfalfa usually grow abundantly in the summer, but due to the drought it’s hard to find either one blooming in Indiana.

Hunter hasn’t seen much aster and goldenrod growing yet, though it should be growing well for a fall bloom. If it doesn’t bloom, the fall flow of honey will be hurt.

Honey flow for his hives is spotty during the current harvesting cycle. The farms’ biggest harvest is in the fall and it’s at that time he can do a final assessment for the year. So far, the majority of his hives’ flow is light or empty, and few of his inspections have showed dead hives.

“The size of colonies are not as large and hives are down 20 to 50 percent in size,” he said.

Normally a colony consists of 20,000-60,000 honeybees and one queen. Hunter has some concern about the hives that are alive now needing to get built up more in the next few months, or they will not make it through the winter.

The honey farm will take calls from concerned people who find beehives in or around their home. Hunter and his son, Ross, will extract the swarm and move it to another safe location, adding a new hive to the farms’ beekeeping. Currently the number of calls for swarms has not declined and maintains an average from the last few years.

Hunter said two major things are taking place to affect the honeybees and the flow of honey. One is that bees are unable to keep their hives cool. Bees are staying outside the hives for multiple days instead of a day here and there.

Bees maintain a temperature of 92-94 degrees Fahrenheit in their central brood nest regardless of whether the outside temperature is 110 or 40 degrees. Hunter has experienced something new this year due to the high temperatures – checking hives recently that have metal tops, he found the entire honeycomb to be completely melted.

“I have been around bees all my life and I’ve never seen anything like it before,” he said.

The other major problem affecting the bees is the nectar source drying up. A honeybee can fly for up to six miles and as fast as 15 miles per hour. Bees are actually picky eaters and while they will eventually pollinate just about every flower available to them, they start with their favorites and leave their least favorites until last.

Hunter’s farm harvested honey recently with an undetermined source of nectar. Tasting the honey and observing the color and texture reminds one of syrup – light in color and texture without the usual honey flavor, nor is it as sweet as most honey.

Before an overall final harvest is completed, Hunter is unable to determine how hard the drought and heat damaged his honeybees, or what the expectations for next year’s harvest will be. Currently, he said the cost of honey has gone up 15 percent on the world market.

Asked if he was concerned for the future of honeybees and the environment, Hunter said, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know (God) holds the future.”