As bees in Michigan start producing honey this month, researchers at Grand Valley State University are studying honeybees across the country to understand why its population is declining. The project is funded by a portion of a $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The four-year, $200,000 study at Grand Valley, led by Jonathan Engelsma, professor of computing, will focus on collecting data from honeybee colonies using a variety of techniques and tools, including a website developed by Engelsma and a team of students. The website tracks activity — in real time — at apiaries across the country.

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