Colony Collapse Disorder – a phenomenon where whole colonies of bees disappear and abandon their hives within weeks was first identified in 2006. Each year more and more hives have been lost creating worry among growers and brisk demand for bees, especially in the almond industry. This year there is a significant decline in the number of available hives for pollination with a lot of the collapses occurring unusually early in the season, before the hives even arrive on the farm. Those hives that do arrive often contain six to seven frames instead of the usual ten and the average number of hives used to pollinate an acre of almonds has decreased from 2.5 to 1.7 hives. Until a solution for colony collapse is discovered, the price of hives (often of substandard bees) will continue to rise. Renting bees accounts for 12%-14% of the total cost to produce a pound of almonds – triple what is was 10 years ago.