Researchers with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia have attached tiny, quarter of a centimeter-long trackers to a group of bees.

Since bees have a tendency to be predictable, any differences in their flight patterns and routes may indicate a source of stress. Knowing these differences and stressors could be a key component in developing ways to help the bees.

“The tiny technology allows researchers to analyse the effects of stress factors including disease, pesticides, air pollution, water contamination, diet and extreme weather on the movements of bees and their ability to pollinate,” Paulo de Souza, the organization’s science leader, said in a statement.

According to the Bee Informed Partnership, a group of universities and research labs that help honeybee research, U.S. beekeepers lost 42.1% of their colonies between April 2014 and April 2015.

The White House has brought it up, stating the fact that 90 North American crops require bees, and they contribute $15 billion to the United States economy every year.

Other countries have had less of a loss in bee population, and researchers say that Australia may actually be the best place to do research on this problem.

“This puts Australia in a good position to act as a control group for research on this major issue that could one day become our problem too,” said Saul Cunninghan, a pollination researcher for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.