American beekeepers have spent decades struggling with colony collapse disorder (CCD), which causes bees to mysteriously abandon their hives. 37.7% of U.S. managed honeybee colonies were lost in the winter of 2018-2019, the country's worst winter for honeybees in at least 13 years. That's an ongoing trend, according to the USDA, which notes winter losses have been "unsustainably high" over the past eight years, ranging from 22% to 36% nationally.

U.S. honeybees pollinate about $15 billion worth of crops per year, which provide a quarter of all food eaten nationwide.

In July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would suspend data collection for its annual survey of the country's managed honeybee population. 

Source: mnn.com