Story highlights Second lady Karen Pence unveiled a new beehive on Tuesday

The bee population is in decline

Washington (CNN) The Naval Observatory was abuzz Tuesday morning as second lady Karen Pence unveiled a new beehive at the vice president's residence.

"I know honeybees and the critical role they play in our country's agriculture is just as important to you as it is to me," she said to a small crowd of invited bee-list guests, including representatives from the American Beekeeping Federation, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and the Almond Board (almond trees are very dependent on honey bees for cross-pollination).

The second lady, who first kept bees at the Indiana Governor's Mansion, knowledgeably rattled off a long list of bee facts.

"One out of three bites of food taken in this country are made possible with the help of pollinators," Pence noted, adding that pollinators like bees, bats, and birds add at least $15 billion in crop value per year.

"I mean, I've learned so much about bees in the last four years," she waxed.

What a bee-utiful day at the VP Residence!!! Thanks to @SecretarySonny for helping to unveil the beehive and explain why bees are important pic.twitter.com/arxqvcGAkl — Karen Pence (@SecondLady) June 6, 2017