where have all the bees gone?

Bee populations are in severe decline all over the world, but beekeepers and scientists are unsure what is causing these losses. This matters because bees pollinate a third of the food we eat, so without them there would be no apples, onions or even tea!

Many flowering plants and crops depend on insect pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies. Honeybees alone pollinate a third of the food we eat including apples, pears and carrots. Examples of foods pollinated by bees

Despite their importance, insect pollinators in the UK are believed to be in decline. The number of honeybees in the UK halved between 1985 and 2005, and three quarters of butterfly species and two thirds of moths have seen population declines since the 1970's.

Find out more about how you can help pollinators:

• British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA)
• Scottish Beekeepers' Association (SBA)
• Welsh Beekeepers' Association (WBKA)
• Northern Ireland Beekeepers' Association (NIBKA)
• Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT)
• Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders' Association (BIBBA)

• Biobees
• National Bee Unit
• Butterfly Conservation
• UK moths
• RSPB