"Germany is abuzz with a growing problem—hive theft. Approximately 20 percent of the country’s one million honeybee colonies didn’t survive the winter, most German beekeepers blame the Varroa mite. In the U.S., bees are in the midst of a crisis dubbed colony collapse disorder, a mysterious affliction where bees fly away from their hives, never to return. Since 2006, some American beekeepers claim to have lost 30 to 90 percent of their hives. According to The National, about one-third of the food people consume is directly or indirectly dependent on honeybees for pollination. California’s almond crop alone uses about 1.4 million bee colonies every year, about one-half of America’s entire bee population. If honeybees across the globe continue to deteriorate, folks around the world could find themselves with empty pantries."