Honeybee populations are shrinking at alarming rates  in the U.S., and it could soon hit Americans where it hurts: the grocery bill. According to Project Apis m., a nonprofit that supports the science of beekeeping, commercial beekeepers reported a 62% loss in honeybee colonies from June to February, a percentage far worse than previous years. As honeybees are essential to agriculture, this loss matters. Honeybees pollinate about 75% of natural crops and contribute over $17 billion to U.S. agricultural production each year; without them, essential foods like almonds, fruits, and vegetables could become scarcer and more expensive.

Experts aren’t completely sure what’s causing this dramatic decline. Elina L. Niño, who is responsible for the Bee Health Hub at UC Davis, points to a mix of threats: diseases, parasites like varroa mites, poor nutrition, and even theft. In California, where almonds depend heavily on bee pollination, hive thefts have surged by 87% since 2013. Thieves, who are often beekeepers themselves, strike at night, stealing hives worth millions. Law enforcement encourages branding and tracking hives, but recovering stolen bees is rare. Beekeepers like Trevor Tauzer, whose bees pollinate almond orchards near Sacramento, say losing colonies, whether to disease or theft, is heartbreaking. It’s a loss of time, money, and purpose. 

While experts say government support is crucial, everyday people can help too. Niño encourages planting bee-friendly flowers in backyards to give pollinators the nutrition they need to survive. “If bees have access to good forage,” she says, “they can better handle the other challenges.” The future of food may depend on tiny wings—and the humans willing to protect them.