• Almonds are a vital ingredient for confectioners around the world
  • Californian almond orchards require 1.5m beehives every year for pollination
  • They account for 80% of the world's almond crop
  • But farmers have seen the price of beehive hire triple in the last decade
  • The declining honey bee population is likely to push prices even higher
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Rising costs: The cost of nutty treats is set to soar as the price of hiring beehives to pollinate almond orchards, pictured near Williams in California, continues to rise as the bee population declines
The price of nutty snacks and treats is set to soar as almond orchard owners struggle to pollinate their crops because of the dwindling honey bee population.

Almond nuts and milk are a vital ingredient for confectioners and cereal-makers around the world with the global market worth around $5 billion (approximately £3.1 million).

Almond orchards in California, which account for 80 per cent of the world's crop, require 1.5 million beehives every year for pollination making honey bees vital to crop production.

But almond farmers have seen the price of renting bees hives for pollination triple in the last decade which is having a knock-on effect on the wholesale cost.
Rising costs: The cost of nutty treats is set to soar as the price of hiring beehives to pollinate almond orchards, pictured near Williams in California, continues to rise as the bee population declines

It now costs on average $150 (£94) to hire a single hive with some farmers to pay up to $200 (£125), the Financial Times reports.

This has seen the wholesale price of almonds reach an eight year high with the figure expected to continue rising as honey bee populations decrease.

As Californian almond prices set a benchmark for the industry, the increasing cost of hiring beehives in America has also had an impact in Europe.

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Production: Orchards in California, such as the one pictured above in Glenn County, account for 80% of the world's almond production but many farmers are being forced to pay more and more to pollinate their crops
Alpro, one of the top manufacturers of almond milk in Europe, said it was concerned about the impact on prices.

The drastic downturn in the honey bee population is also concerning environmentalists and scientists around the world.

In the last few years, the annual winter 'die-out' rate has been 10 per cent higher than usual.

It has been suggested climate change, pollution, pests or even 'travel stress' from the bees being shipped from pollination site to pollination site being to blame.

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Mounting concerns: There has been a drastic decline in the honey bee population around the world with the annual winter 'die-out' rate 10% higher than usual