Photo: Mystery Bee Disappearances Sweeping U.S.

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A European honeybee endures a shiny black varroa mite on its back. In the U.S. the mites have destroyed more than half of some beekeepers' hives.

Now a mystery disorder is causing bees to vanish, leaving their hives to collapse. The epidemic could put a strain on fruit growers and other farmers who rely on the insects to pollinate their crops.

Photograph by Scott Bauer/USDA ARS

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