Many people are afraid of them, or rather their sting, but the humble bee brings us many benefits. Pollen to help with hayfever, delicious honey for our bread, and they are absolutely vital to the pollination of orchards and various food crops.

You may not have heard of Colony Collapse Disorder, a disease which has affected hives in the US, France, Germany and Italy, but it could see the complete wiping out of bee colonies in 10 years. It hasn’t arrived in the UK yet, but it is only a matter of time, and the British Beekeeping Association wants the Government to fund a research project into this potential disaster.

This would fall within the existing farming research budget at DEFRA, and the Government says there is no money for such research, although there is a contingency fund that they have no plans to dip into.

It would seem to make sense to research how to avoid this catastrophe before it hits us, so if you feel strongly then there is an online petition on the Downing Street website. Buzz of there and register your support for the bees at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/BeeResearch