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ARKANSAS IS AMONG 35 STATES in the nation experiencing Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious syndrome that's killing honeybees by the billions and threatening the production of billions of dollars worth of crops throughout the United States.
Beekeepers began seeing huge losses in their bee colonies last fall, with bee deaths of from more than 50 percent to between 80 and 90 percent. In a survey of 384 bee-keeping operations between September and March, the Apiary Inspectors of America found that 24 percent of them had lost at least 50 percent of their bees, meeting the official definition of Colony Collapse Disorder.
