For some people, bees are simply an annoyance. They buzz around, crawl inside soda cans, chase people down the street and sometimes even sting. If you're unlucky enough to be allergic, bees can literally be a lethal threat.
Yet, the simple fact is,…

ENVIRONMENT Honeybee hives aren't natural, and they don't help the environment. In fact, they may harm it. (NPR) Help wild bees! Build your own bee hotel! Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.   Discussion Ideas The NPR article says honeybees are not native species in the U.S.…

Honey bees are not native to North America. They were originally imported from Europe in the 17th century. Honey bees now help pollinate many U.S. crops like fruits and nuts. In a single year, one honey bee colony can gather about 40 pounds of pollen and 265 pounds of nectar. Honey bees increase our nation's crop values each year by more than 15 billion dollars.

Critical honey bee populations in the United States have been declining in recent years due to many factors, creating concern about the future security of pollination services in the United States. USGS researchers are looking into the effects of factors like land use change and chemical use on honey bee habitat to better understand how to conserve bees on the landscape.

While important in the pollination of some crops, honey bees are also significant competitors of native ...