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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah's bee population is on the decline.
Like bees in 34 other U.S. states, Utah's bees are suffering from colony collapse disorder, a mysterious disease that scientists can't pinpoint. It was first detected along the East Coast in 2006.
The population losses are leading to a decline in honey yields. In Utah, yields have dropped from an average of 70 pounds per colony to about 50 pounds.
In its top producing year, 1963, Utah's honey industry produced 4.3 million pounds of honey. Last year production topped out at 1.2 million pounds.
The problem is hitting Utah beekeepers hard. Delta beekeeper Gary Dutson says he's lost so many hives that he's had to sell off 500 acres of family farmland.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
