Is Maine One of the Best States for Beekeeping?
According to a new report ranking states in terms of beekeeping, we have to ask: how does our Pine Tree State measure up?
Beekeeping offers numerous benefits, from pollinating crops and wild plants to producing honey and beeswax. Given Maine's reputation for eco-consciousness and its love for local, organic products, you'd expect the state to be an ideal place for thriving bee populations. Surprisingly, however, it’s not that simple.
With that in mind, who exactly judges these rankings, and how do they determine which states are better at beekeeping than others?
Lawn Love's report, ‘Nectar Nation: 2024’s Best States for Beekeeping,’ ranked 39 U.S. states on beekeeping viability using 29 metrics across four main categories: Economic/Profitability, Colony & Population Health, Education & Support, and Environmental & Regulatory Factors.
Each metric was weighted by Lawn Love based on its relevance to beekeeping success.
Data was collected for each metric, and states with insufficient data, such as New Hampshire and Massachusetts, were excluded, resulting in a ranking of 39 states. Final scores, out of 100, determined each state’s overall rank, with the highest score designating the 'best' state for beekeeping.
So, with that clarified, how did Lawn Love determine the 'best' and 'worst' states for beekeeping?
According to Lawn Love’s report, out of the 39 states compared and evaluated, Maine ranked near the bottom—36th overall—performing poorly in categories like ‘Economic/Profitability Rank,’ ‘Colony & Population Health Rank,’ ‘Education & Support Rank,’ and ‘Environmental & Regulatory Factors Rank,’ placing 38th, 33rd, 37th, and 12th, respectively.
There you have it—Maine may not be the ideal place for beekeeping in the United States.
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