Cornell University recently conducted a study that estimated that honeybees pollinate more than $14 billion worth of crops each year. The study suggested that nearly seventy-five percent of all global crops that are grown for food, fiber, beverages, condiments, spices, and medicines are pollinated. Produced with the help of pollinators, agricultural products including legumes, vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, herbs, spices, oils, seeds, grains, clover, and cotton make a significant contribution to the economy. As the human population increases, so does the demand for pollination; sadly, the honeybee population is decreasing. Within the past thirty years, parasites, predators, and disease have weakened both wild and managed populations of honeybees. In fact, around the globe, honeybees are being decimated by an epidemic known as colony collapse disorder (CCD).

According to this article, who collected information to research the honeybees?