The disorder is still not fully understood, but it’s most likely a combination of habitat loss, shifting temperatures, disease and pesticides. The first cases of ‘colony collapse disorder’ started being reported in 2007, and saw huge numbers of bees disappearing with no explanation, leaving scientists, beekeepers and just about everyone else baffled. Right now, they need us almost as much as we need them. That’s why it’s worrying that 35 UK bee species are under threat of extinction, and the rest face serious threats, according to Friends of the Earth. We’ve established that bees are pretty darn important. The by-products of honey, wax and pollen can also be analysed easily for pollution. Honey bees provide an opportunity to judge longer term environmental effects, since they are one of the few insect species which produce colonies which are meant to survive for multiple years. Their health and abundance can show us an indicator for the health of the environment as a whole. In the context of climate change, bees are a particularly interesting species. The plants they pollinate provide animals with food such as seeds and berries, and the pollination also means more plants which in turn is enriching landscapes and making the world a greener, happier place to live.

As well as maintaining our food supply, they also contribute to the wider ecosystem. Did you know that about one out of every three bites of food is made possible by bees and other pollinators? In the United States alone, honeybees pollinate $15 billion worth of crops each year. The humble creatures are tiny, bee-autiful heroes, if you ask us. Our Edible Playgrounds team have put together a list of ways to make your garden more bee-friendly, but first - let’s have a look at why it’s vital that we come together to help our fluffy insect friends. Did you know that city terraces, backyards and allotments are vital spaces for bees? New research, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, found allotments and gardens often had 10 times more bees than parks, cemeteries and urban nature reserves.

Backyard bee garden