More than 40 percent of U.S. honeybee colonies died over the course of the past year, according to an annual U.S. Department of Agriculture survey conducted by researchers from institutions including the University of Maryland and the University of Georgia.

Shockingly, the worst die-off occurred in the summer, which is typically a good time of year for bees. Most die-offs take place in the winter months, which tend to be more stressful for bees.

"What we're seeing with this bee problem is just a loud signal that there's some bad things happening. 

Poor nutrition is the source for the declining populations of pollinators, including honeybees. Note that the vast areas of land formerly covered by the wildflowers that pollinators use for food have been disappearing as more land is converted to agriculture to take advantage of rising food prices. Since 2007 alone, the land retained by the Agriculture Department for conservation has been halved and continues to shrink