Hundreds of members of the British Beekeepers Association will march to deliver a petition today (5 November) to 10 Downing Street calling for government action to increase the £200,000 annually currently spent on bee health research.

One in three of honey bee colonies were lost over the last year, which equates to a loss of two billion bees.

Tim Lovett, President of the BBKA, said: “Bees are probably one of the most economically useful creatures on earth, pollinating a third of all we eat. They provide more than 50% of pollination of wild plants on which birds and mammals depend. We must identify what is killing them, and that means research. Varroa mites weaken colonies and spread viruses and are becoming resistant to treatments to protect them, making them more vulnerable to disease."

The varroa mite reached the UK in 1992 and now infests 95% of hives. Untreated colonies die in 3-4 years. Even low populations of mites reduce vitality and increases the spread of viruses.