It's The Silence of the Bee's

GARDENS and allotments have a sad ominous, but significant silence, because bees are unusually absent.Are honey bees (apis mellifera) disappearing from our gardens, allotments and countryside forever?I grow flowers each year particularly attractive to bees: bee borage, Russian comfry, sweet peas, roses, sweet williams; and broad beans with runner beans which normally have thousands of bees on them but this year for the first time there has not been one single honey bee at all seen anywhere.

GARDENS and allotments have a sad ominous, but significant silence, because bees are unusually absent.

Are honey bees (apis mellifera) disappearing from our gardens, allotments and countryside forever?

I grow flowers each year particularly attractive to bees: bee borage, Russian comfry, sweet peas, roses, sweet williams; and broad beans with runner beans which normally have thousands of bees on them but this year for the first time there has not been one single honey bee at all seen anywhere.

The "Silence of the Bees" has come to my allotments and gardens. Even bumble bees (apis bombus) are few and far between only seen in the tens of numbers instead of 1,000's. The importance is 75pc to 80pc of our food is pollinated by honey bees.

Has 'Silence of the Bees' come to a place near you?

ROD EARP

Rye Close

Carlton Colville