If you live in Virginia, this could be your backyard. (Photo by Jacob Fenston)

Update, July 31, 2018: Virginia suspended the beehive giveaway program as of July 30, due to overwhelming demand. The Department of Agriculture received 2,700 applications for hives in less than one month — at one point requests were coming in about one per minute. The $125,000 in state funding was quickly maxed out, but the program will be offered again in the next fiscal year, starting July 1, 2019.

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Everyone loves a freebie, but what about free bee (hives)?

Honeybees have been on the decline for decades, due to diseases and pesticides, but this past winter was an especially bad one for bees. Keith Tignor, Virginia’s state apiarist, says erratic weather and a rainy spring led to a loss of 60 percent of bee colonies in the commonwealth.

“That’s a huge hit on our beekeeping community,” says Tignor. In an average year, the rate of loss is around 30 to 40 percent, according to Tignor.

On July 1, Virginia launched a new program that provides free hives to residents in an effort to boost bee numbers. Any Virginia resident over 18 can apply (no underage beekeeping please!)

Each applicant can receive three free hives per year, while supplies last. The state-funded beehive distribution program has a budget of $125,000, covering the next two years. Tignor says it has not yet been determined how much each hive will cost the state, but he estimates it will be between $100 and $150. Only hives are provided — bees are not included.

The decline of honeybees is a problem not just for beekeepers, but for agriculture and the ecosystem.

“Yes, we enjoy the honey and appreciate the sweetness of the honey, but the pollination that our honeybees do is where their real value is,” says Tignor.

So far, the program has been extremely popular. Since July 1, more than 1,000 people have applied.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.