Beekeepers experienced some of the highest colony losses in more than a decade, an annual survey shows.
More than 55 percent of managed bee colonies were considered lost, and a well-known pest, varroa mite, is largely to blame. The pests attach themselves to the bodies of bees and can collapse entire colonies. The highest incidents were in South Dakota, Alabama, and Texas.
The U.S. is home to an estimated 2.5 million bee colonies, producing 139 million pounds of honey this year.
