“Bee-washing” hurts bees and misleads consumers

Bee populations are declining because of pesticides and other human-generated activities. Some studies estimate that more than 40 percent of insect species' numbers are falling and that the numbers of insects at large decrease by 2.5 percent per year. While best known for their honey and wax, the practical value of bees as pollinators is enormously greater than the value of these products.