Almond Plantations As Bees Go Missing On Soaring Almond Prices [Getty Images]

A bee smoker sits on a honey super at a beehive near Mildura, Victoria, Australia, on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015. Bees, responsible for an estimated $15 billion of crop output in the U.S. alone, play an essential role in almond production. With the nut fetching record prices, the insects have become the asset to own -- or steal -- in Australia's biggest almond-producing region. Photographer: Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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