This is something which I felt required a bit of support from us environmentalists and from people in York generally: "Colony Collapse Disorder".

What? There is something which has decimated bee populations in the US and mainland Europe and it's starting to affect the UK. The Government should really fund DEFRA to do a full survey but the money hasn't been forthcoming. It'd cost about £8M to do the work properly. I think that's worth the investment. Some readers may be aware that the UK's National Bee Unit is based in York. It's at the Central Science Laboratory at Sand Hutton to be precise.

Something is wrong in bee world... and if, like in Germany, 40% of honey bees die, then I wanna know why? Is it malnutrition, pesticides, pathogens, immunodeficiencies, mites, fungi, genetically modified crops, use of antibiotics...? I don't know.

So, if you'd like to try to persuade the Government to fund our "boffins" to find out the reasons for Colony Collapse Disorder, then click on this petition to fund research into maintaining bee stocks

The full text is... The British Beekeeping Association has requested £8m for the government to fund 5 years research into Colony Collapse Disorder.

The government has stated that no funds exist within the existing farming research budget. Kept honey bees provide a significant percentage of pollination to food crops, fruit orchards and of course provide honey. Colony Collapse Disorder is a disease which has affected hives in the US and has been reported in France, Germany and Italy.

Its entry into the UK is most likely inevitable. This fundamental research needs to be performed in order to protect the country bees before it arrives. As in almost all cases, being prepared for something reduces its impact for a fraction of the cost compared to being unprepared. Currently only £1.35m per annum is available to the National Bee Unit (part of Defra), this funds all its statutory activities as well as research.

If there is no money in the farm research budget, then money should be made available from contingency funds. Click on the petition Thanks.