"The mites getting them. The bears getting them. Pesticides getting them. They're doing fine," Ulee responds.

Utah beekeepers, stung by similar problems including the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), carry the same optimistic view as they near the completion of the 2008 honey harvest.

"The bees aren't as strong and we aren't making as much honey," said Lee Knight of the Knight Family Honey in Utah County. "But you just keep going and plugging away."

Like many beekeepers in the state, Knight has worked hard during the past few months to rebuild his depleted hives, which dropped from 400 to around 200. The culprits include mites, malnutrition, cold weather and CCD, a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or colony suddenly disappear.

Besides purchasing more bees and visiting his hives more often, Knight has stopped using antibiotics and pesticides, which may affect the insects' resistance to virus and disease. He also has been putting fewer hives in yards and farms.

"If there are too many bees in an area, there may not be enough forage and they might lack the proper nutrition," he said.

For rent

Honey is not the only thing that drives beekeepers. Many larger operations in the U.S. and Utah rent their hives to large farms - getting paid $150 a hive - for crop pollination. Knight said this year his hives have pollinated Utah pumpkins, raspberries, blackberries, cucumbers, tomatoes and even California almonds.

"The farmers rely on us to be there," he said, noting that the way the U.S. agricultural system has evolved, farmers can no longer rely on wild bees and other insects to provide proper pollination. They must hire beekeepers to bring in their honeybees.

Even with the drop in hive numbers, plenty of liquid gold has been produced this summer from Logan to St. George. Some of this natural sweetener will go to commercial packers where it will be pasteurized and sold in grocery stores.

Other honey, usually from smaller beekeeping operations, will be bottled and sold at farmers' markets, county fairs and arts events around the state.

Although Utah enjoys the title "The Beehive State," California, Florida and South Dakota are the top honey producing states.

In Utah, several unique varieties of this all-natural sweetener are produced. Knight Family Honey sells an alfalfa-pumpkin honey, Cox Honeyland in Cache Valley has mountain snowberry honey and Taylor Honey in Santa Clara, has knapweed, mesquite and sunflower.

In fact, few people realize that the color and flavor of every batch of honey is unique. Just as different grapes produce different wines, nectar gathered from different plants will produce honey in a variety of colors and flavors.

"There are 300 different flavors of honey produced in the U.S. alone," explained Neil Shelley, owner of Wild Attitude! Apiaries in Pleasant Grove and president of the Utah County Beekeepers Association. The honeys can range in color from "clear to black as molasses. It all depends on where the bees are getting the nectar."

The National Honey Board helps people locate the kind of honey they want through its online honey locator at www.honeylocator .com. The honeys range from alfalfa and clover (the most common) to the more unusual such as avocado, sage and soybean.

Budget sting

Wherever honey is purchased this year, it likely will cost more than in previous years.

"Over the last two years the price of honey has increased 100 percent," said Shelley, who keeps track of honey prices for the West.

Today, an 8-ounce plastic container - usually filled with imported, pasteurized honey - costs $1.99 to $2.50 at the local grocery store, he said. That is double the $1 charged two years ago. Raw specialty honey from a local producer will cost about $5 for 8 ounces.

There are a number of economic factors that contribute to the price hikes.

"We have had to increase the price over the last year, not so much because of the loss of bees, but because the price of our bottles went up and so have gas prices to get to the market," explained Julie Clifford of Clifford Family Farm in Provo.

Supply and demand also plays a factor. The United States produces only about half the honey it consumes, said Danielle Downey, a Salt Lake County bee inspector. Imports from Argentina, China and other foreign countries make up the difference. However, with the weak American dollar, many honey importers are finding it more profitable to sell to Europe.

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Kathy Stephenson writes about food and dining. Contact her at kathys@sltrib.com or 801-257-8612.

Tropical rice

4 cups water

2 cups white rice

2 teaspoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (16-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

1 (15.5-ounce) chunky fruit cocktail, drained

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil over high heat. Add rice, butter and salt. Return to boil. Stir, cover, reduce heat and simmer, 15 to 20 minutes. Place cooked rice in bowl, adding honey and spices while still hot. Add fruit; toss lightly.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Covered in Honey, by Mani Niall

Instant orange cheesecake pudding

1/3 cup fruity or floral honey such as orange blossom or wildflower

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into pieces

2 teaspoons orange zest

Graham crackers, vanilla wafers or other wafer-like cookies, optional

Whisk together honey, cornstarch and milk in a microwaveable glass mixing bowl or large glass measuring cup until smooth. Microwave on high for 4 1/2 minutes. Whisk again. Microwave 3 or 4 more times at 30 to 45 seconds intervals, whisking after each interval, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a thin gravy or sauce.

Place cream cheese in a separate bowl. Microwave 30 seconds, remove and whisk. Add a few tablespoons of cornstarch mixture to cream cheese and microwave an additional 20 seconds. Whisk until smooth.

Slowly pour remaining cornstarch mixture into cream cheese, blending until smooth. Fold in orange zest.

Immediately spoon equal portions of mixture into 4 or 6 individual serving cups. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Serve with cookies.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Source: Covered in Honey, by Mani Niall

Golden glow muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup seedless raisins

2 eggs

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 cup shredded carrot

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nuts and raisins. Set aside. In a small bowl, blend together eggs, orange juice, oil, honey, vanilla and orange peel. Add to dry ingredients. Stir in carrots until moistened. Spoon batter into paper-lined or greased muffin pan cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes 18 muffins.

Source: National Honey Board