The Beekeepers Who Don’t Want You to Buy More Bees - The New York Times

While techniques for nurturing hives have improved, honey bees remain vulnerable animals. As of a few years ago, nearly 30 percent of commercial honey bees still did not survive the winter months, says the Environmental Protection Agency. That's a large number and one that puts a financial strain on commercial beekeepers. 

"But that's an agriculture story, not a conservation story," Mr. Black said. "There are now more honey bees on the planet than there have ever been in human history." 

Figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations underscore the point. The number of beehives around the world has risen by nearly 26 percent in the last decade, to 102 million from 81 million.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/19/business/beekeeping-companies-colony-collapse.html