"Honey bees, critical agents in the pollination of key U.S. crops, disappeared at a staggering rate over the last year, according to a new government report that comes as regulators, environmentalists and agribusinesses try to reverse the decline.

Losses of managed honey bee colonies hit 42.1 percent from April 2014 through April 2015, up from 34.2 percent for 2013-2014, and the second-highest annual loss to date, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report issued on Wednesday.

'Such high colony losses in the summer and year-round remain very troubling,' Jeff Pettis, a USDA senior entomologist, said in a statement. '

Carey Gillam reports for Reuters May 13, 2015. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"A Sharp Spike in Honeybee Deaths Deepens a Worrisome Trend" (New York Times) [3]

"Why More Research Needs To Be Done To Save Honey Bees" (Christian Science Monitor) [4]