Scientists are not sure when honeybees first arrived on the Hawaiian Islands. In 1794, a ship's captain reported seeing 80 pounds of beeswax that had drifted ashore on Oahu. He also reported that he had received beeswax from people who lived on some of the other islands.
Scientists do know about other types of bees that have been active in Hawaii for many years. There are several species of Yellow-faced bees that have been pollinating native plants. In fact, seven species of these yellow-faced bees are in danger o becoming extinct. Scientists think that this may be because their natural habitat is shrinking. .
The first recorded hives of honeybees arrived on Oahu in 1857. Honeybees were cultivated and the honey industry grew slowly. Around the beginning of the 20th Century, people began to realize the potential of honey and beeswax as cash crops.
About the same time, cattle ranchers began to realize the value of honeybees as pollinators. By the late 1920's, ranchers were beginning to grow a plant known as kiawe as feed for cattle. The beans of the kiawe tree are very good cattle feed. By pollinating the kiawe, honeybees were instrumental in boosting the production of it.
Several industries developed at the same time. The beekeepers learned that the nectar from the kiawe flowers made very good honey. They also found that the bees were attracted to the honeydew that the sugarcane leafhoppers produced. In addition, honeybees began to be used to pollinate several Hawaiian crops.
By 2008, there were 10,000 honeybee colonies reported in the Hawaiian Islands. The 2008 honey crop was reported to be 900,000 pounds. Just as in most other states, Hawaiian beekeepers were battling the Varroa mite. It is not certain what impact the Varroa mite will have on the Hawaiian honey industry.