Ever since the varroa mite arrived from Asia and wiped out the native wild bees, beekeeping in Israel is a constant struggle against the forces of nature and man. The varroa mites and the disease viruses they carry decimate the hives and if not treated in time, eventually cause the death of the hive. Whenever a hive is weakened or dead, then the wax moth moves in and destroys all the wax in the hive, essentially destroying the physical hive itself. During the summer huge hornets attack the hives relentlessly carrying off bees and larvae.

Modern agriculture in Israel uses a large amount of pesticides and herbicides, and too often these chemicals are applied at the wrong time wiping out hives and even complete apiaries in a single day.

Loss of habitat and foraging area means that each hive has fewer sources of nectar and thus collects smaller amounts of honey each year.The seasons in Israel are unlike North America and Europe. The hives are in in danger of dying from starvation both in the winter and in the summer.Forest fires, whether accidental or intentional, also destroy the wild bee populations shrinking the gene pool and numbers of bees.