A major agricultural research hub in Maryland is set to close as the Trump administration moves to downsize the federal government, raising concerns across the beekeeping and farming industries.

The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center is home to the Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory, the nation’s leading bee research and disease diagnosis lab.

David Schultz, president of the Maryland State Beekeepers Association and apiary inspector with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, said the lab has helped beekeepers respond to emerging threats. He argued closing the Beltsville Bee Lab would affect important pollinator research often happening behind the scenes, including work tied to national food security.

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“If we lose the pollinators, not only do we lose 35% of what we'd like to eat, but that really translates into starvation, because especially in this country, we feed a lot of other countries,” Schultz explained.

Schultz pointed out the closure comes at a particularly fragile time for the industry. Beekeepers are still recovering from steep losses, with some reporting more than 60% losses in their colonies during the 2025 winter season, far above typical losses, which usually range between 25% and 30%.

Honeybees pollinate about $15 billion in crops each year, covering more than 130 kinds of fruits, nuts and vegetables, according to the USDA.

Schultz noted the Beltsville Bee Lab has been especially valuable for research in the mid-Atlantic. As an apiary inspector, his work involves monitoring for diseases which can seriously harm honeybee colonies, and inspectors regularly collect samples. The Beltsville lab has consistently analyzed the samples.

“Their expertise in giving us answers quickly really makes a difference in how beekeepers can manage their colonies,” Schultz underscored. “Because beekeepers basically are like veterinarians because they have to understand how to diagnose a colony, what might be ailing the colony, and then how do I fix it?”

Schultz added closing the lab would also affect beekeeping education. He regularly works with hundreds of mentees and supports higher-education beekeeping programs relying on volunteer involvement. Such community support would be difficult to replace, Schultz emphasized, and losing key resources could have effects lasting well beyond the immediate closure.