USDA to close Beltsville bee lab due to 2024-2025 honeybee die-off.

The USDA plans to close its Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, home to the nation’s premier bee lab, following a severe 2024–2025 honeybee die-off that killed an estimated 1.6 million colonies. Critics warn the closure, cited as a cost-saving measure, will undermine critical research needed to protect pollinators.