Bee Population Declines by as Much as 50%

Honeybee deaths soared last year as nearly 50 percent of the population used in U.S. agriculture died inexplicably, according to the New York Times.

Meanwhile, scientists are still at a loss regarding the cause of what is being termed colony-collapse disorder, though many theories have been put forth.

"They looked so healthy last spring," Montana beekeeper Bill Dahle told the news outlet. "We were so proud of them. Then, about the first of September, they started to fall on their face, to die like crazy. We've been doing this 30 years, and we've never experienced this kind of loss before."

And while beekeepers are feeling the loss immediately, the effects of a falling bee population have ripple effects on Americans everywhere; the Agricultural Department estimates that a quarter of the American diet, including staples like apples and onions, depend on pollination by honeybees. Fewer bees means smaller crop yields, and an increase in food prices.

Among the crops that are hit hardest are almonds, which amount to a multi-billion dollar business for California and 800,000 acres that require pollination to survive. Farmers there have been forced to rent hives at as much as $200 each, which again pushes costs onto consumers.

While scientists have yet to determine the cause of colony-collapse disorder, many farmers believe it has to do with the use of a kind of pesticide called neonicotinoids. Not only did they come into fashion at the same time the bees started dying - 2005 - new studies show that bees affected by the pesticide show loss of crucial brain functioning, including their ability to find their way back home.

Manufacturers of the pesticide, however, refute that their products are at fault and have even gone so far as to announce their willingness to fund research in the bees' disappearance.

Both farmers and environmentalists are suing the Environmetal Protection Agency for allowing the pesticides to pass inspection, spurring the agency to increase their own research on the issue.