In the year that ended last April 1st, almost half of all honeybee colonies in the U.S. didn’t survive. That was the second highest death rate on record.

Honeybees are crucial to the food supply, pollinating more than a hundred crops we eat, including nuts, vegetables, berries, citrus and melons. It's estimated that 35% of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants and honeybees are responsible for 80% of that pollination.

Scientists said a combination of parasites, pesticides, starvation and climate change keep causing large die-offs.

Beekeepers have taken on the role of trying to stabilize the honeybee population.

On The Spark Wednesday was Gary Carnes, President of the Capital Area Beekeepers Association and an eighth generation beekeeper pointed out he has had to change how he raises bees because of the challenges the colonies face,"I have changed my business operation compared to what my father and I used to have. And, you talk about the losses in the [19]70s. If we went into the winter here in central PA with 100 colonies, we'll just use, for example. And we lost five colonies. The guys in the club [would say], What's up, old man? You had a bad year. Now, if you lose 50%, most people pat you on the back. You did pretty well. And if, a dairy man or the beef producer would lose 50% of his livestock every year, they would be up in arms."

The non-native parasitic mite Varroa destructor has devastated millions of bees over the last 20 years. Carnes said he's constantly trying to fight off the mites.

Carnes said he takes his bees to South Carolina during the winter months for warmer temperatures and bring them back to Pennsylvania in April or May.

He indicated he refers to climate change as "crop change" because the number of crops being produced in Pennsylvania has dwindled due to a changing climate.

Over though, Carnes said he is optimistic about the future of honeybees as we are learning more about how to keep them healthy.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.