The U.S. honeybee population rose in 2017, while honeybee deaths as a result of colony collapse disorder decreased, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday. Its survey found the number of commercial colonies increased 3 percent year-to-year as of April 1, 2017, while honeybee deaths due to colony collapse disorder fell by 27 percent in the first quarter of 2017 as compared to the same period last year. More than 40 percent of beekeepers who responded to the survey said mites were still hurting their bee populations.
