Help the Honeybees

             The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated Tuesday, February 26th, that they would contribute funding to farmers and ranchers upgrade grass lands in five Midwestern states to supply food for the diminishing number of honeybees left. The statement included an offer of over three million dollars, in order to sustain and increase the number of honeybees left. The ultimate goal is to provide farmers in Michigan, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota with funds to improve their farms and the lives of their livestock and bees.

            The ultimate goal the USDA is trying to reach is to save the lives of honeybees which are very much in danger. In preparation, they have worked with universities to conduct studies on the bees to learn more about the cause of their decline. Members from the CCD Steering Committee and Pennsylvania State University held a seminar in Virginia that would begin the research into the needs of the honeybees. According to the USDA one hundred and seventy five people attended. These individuals included, animal rights activists, scientist, government officials, beekeepers and scholars from all over the globe. Because of habitat loss and overusing pesticides, commercial agricultural production has declined and the number of honeybees has plummeted. Every year, honeybees provide our country with over $15 billion produce and goods. HuffingtonPost

"Despite a remarkably intensive level of research effort towards understanding causes of 

managed honeybee colony losses in the United States, overall losses continue to be high 

and pose a serious threat to meeting the pollination service demands for several 

commercial crops."USDA

       The USDA plans to fund places for bees to increase food stock and be able to survive the winter. The purpose is to improve not only the number of bees, but their habitats as well. The president of the American Beekeeping Federation and owner of five hundred bee hives in Texas, Tim Tucker states:

"Anything we do to help provide habitat for honeybees and for native bees and pollinators is a step."