40% of Honeybee Hives Died Last Year

Over 40 percent of American honeybee hives have died since April 2014, according to a new survey conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The study shows the largest drop rate in bee populations in nine years. “What we’re seeing with this bee problem is just a loud signal that there’s some bad things happening with our agro-ecosystems,” said study co-author Keith Delaplane. “We just happen to notice it with the honeybee because they are so easy to count.” One of the most shocking findings, the authors said, was that most of the deaths occurred in the summer—an entirely unexpected outcome.