As many as 1 in 5 bee hives have been destroyed in the last 6 months, threatening a vital part of our ecosystems. According to a quote attributed to Einstein, humankind has only four years of survival left once the last honey bee has left planet earth, so the decline in bee numbers is clearly an alarming trend - even for those that tend to underplay the significance of such events in the natural world. I drew the European Commission’s attention to the need to tackle new threats to bee health some years ago but with no success. I have also joined British campaigners in calling on the government to reverse cuts to its hive inspection programme. DEFRA have now admitted the cuts were a mistake and have upped the priority given to inspections - hopefully not too late to make a difference. Today I have written again to the European Commission arguing that there is an urgent need for a pan-European response to the crisis facing the honey bee. I hope they agree!
