VALDOSTA, Ga. – What are 100,000 bees doing on Valdosta State University’s rooftops?

Researchers at VSU are trying to increase their population.

Multiple VSU departments are intending to study them for clues as to why bee populations are dying off – what scientists say is a critical problem for humanity because of the reliance on them for foods that require bee pollination such as strawberries, melons, almonds, and pecans.

And of course, azaleas, Azalea City!

The project started when University Environmental Safety were called out to a swarm of bees, according to a report from WCTV. Barry Futch, a local bee keeper, responded. The bees had colonized outside the building and were relocated to the roof of Bailey Science Center.

“We’ve worked them in to the entomology classes, we’ve worked them in to animal behavior classes, and I use them in an invertebrates zoology class,” said Professor Ted Uyeno to WCTV.