U.S. Bee Colonies Continue to Decline as Pests, Chemicals Blamed
- First USDA honeybee health survey reports 8.1% drop last year
- Some groups blame pesticide made by companies including Bayer
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U.S. honeybee numbers continue to drop, according to two new studies, with scientists blaming mite infestations while the pace of the phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder accelerated in the first quarter.
The number of commercial U.S. honeybee colonies declined 8.1 percent to 2.59 million in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s first-ever honeybee health survey released Thursday. Beekeepers needed to replace 44 percent of all their hives last year to maintain insects pollinating almonds, apples and other key crops, according to a separate study published May 10 by a group of researchers.