Honey Bees, Is There An Overpopulation Problem?

Over the past few years, particularly since Covid I have noticed an ever increasing number of male bees along with a decrease in the number of female worker bees.<br><br>I am certain that I have seen drones on the honeycomb. Now I have heard a few tales and theories so far, and I’m not sure who to believe.<br><br>1. Covid made such a dent in the beekeeping industry that the decline in bee colonies is causing less regulated bee management which caused the drones to outnumber the females.<br>2. Climate change along with pesticide use has caused unstable gender behaviors in the bees.<br>3. Bees are such an important source of food now that beekeepers are encouraging and intentionally breeding male bees.<br><br>I’ve heard a few more theories but I’m not sure who to trust.<br><br>What is the real reason such an imbalance is happening now?