Honey bee life spans are 50% shorter today than they were 50 years ago

Researchers also saw less honey being produced and greater colony losses among the honey bees, Mustafa Qadri writes

Honey bees are important pollinators for helping flowers, fruits and vegetables grow (Getty Images)

The lifespan for honey bees has decreased by 50 per cent compared to the 1970s, a study shows.

The average caged honey bee lives upto 17.7 days compared to 34.3 days in the 1970s, it found.

Researchers from Maryland University set out to find the lifespan by adding plain water to caged honey bees’ sugar water diet to better mimic their natural conditions.