Colony Collapse Disorder Reported In N. Dakota - #1 Honey-Producing State - AJC

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BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota now is among about a dozen states where beekeepers report some of their bees are buzzing away from hives for good. Judy Carlson, the apiary inspector for the state Agriculture Department, said North Dakota beekeepers are returning to the state after using their bees elsewhere to pollinate cucumbers and almond and orange trees.

The phenomenon, known as collapsing colony disorder, affects crops that depend on bees for pollination. A survey of 15 out of the 179 beekeepers in the state found about half had poor or disappearing hives, she said. "Some are reporting that they are losing 50 to 80 percent of their hives," Carlson said.

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. "It's a real mystery because bees have an enormously strong homing instinct, but in this case, they are flying away and never coming back and nobody knows where they went." Randy Verhoek of Bismarck said he lost half his 13,000 hives this year, costing him about $400,000.

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