Pesticide sales went up 13% between 2006-2007[1] (current growth is about the same[2]). While pesticides have existed for a while, their use is growing quickly and the chemicals used are getting stronger and more refined. This same wild growth pattern is copied by drugs - the other chemical market.

Compared to 30 years ago, drugs and pesticides are everyday items now.

This could easily explain the more recent detection of insects like bees being affected as levels of pesticides in the environment could now have reached high enough levels.

[1]https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents...

[2]:https://ourworldindata.org/fertilizer-and-pesticides/#pestic...