North Dakota, with an estimated 382,500 hives, led the country in
honey production last year. "This is a really big deal for the honey
industry here," state Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson said.

Randy Verhoek of Bismarck said he lost half his 13,000 hives this
year, costing him about $400,000. "We'd go out one day and find full
boxes, and a week later they would just be gone," he said. Verhoek
said he lost money because he did not have his normal hive count for
pollination in California almond orchards. He said he had to send
weakened hives to Texas for rebuilding.

Verhoek and Gackle beekeeper John Miller, with 10,000 hives, say the
phenomenon of collapsing colonies may have many causes, including
drought, disease and insecticides. Miller said neither scientists nor
beekeepers understand what's at the root of the collapsing colonies.
He believes about a third of collapsing colony disorder is due to poor
management by the beekeepers. "They aren't following the new standards
for hive husbandry," Miller said. "Things have changed."

www.havredailynews.com

-- 
Peter L. Borst

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