Beekeepers and Bees in Decline...
The number of U.S. beekeepers and bee colonies have been generally declining since 1947. The shift of the country to an industrial economy and the loss of land to subdivisions and highways accounted for the decline in earlier years.
This decline has accelerated in recent years due to price competition from imports and complications from the spread of the parasitic mites. These two factors have put many U.S. beekeepers out of business.
