One-third of all the food crops consumed in the U.S. are pollinated by bees, making them a crucial part of the ecology. However, development, new pesticides and new diseases are thinning the honey bee populations, leading to what Temple Ambler adjunct apiculture professor Vincent Aloyo called a “pollinator shortage.” “The value of bees isn’t the honey, but the pollination that they provide,” Aloyo said.