Annually for about 13 years, Virginia—like many other states—has been losing about 30% of its honey bee population to a host of problems.
Some might think that there’s no need to worry. But aside from the delicious honey they produce, bees are a major contributor to the production of Virginia agriculture, the state's top commodity.
Kill the bees, kill the economy—not to mention furthering the slow breakdown of the ecosystem. So what's leading to the decline? Virginia Tech entomologist Dr. Troy Anderson says a lot of factors are responsible.