Beekeepers swarm round Downing St

Beekeepers want more research into diseases

The deaths of billions of honey bees could have a devastating impact on the British countryside, beekeepers claim.

A survey for the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) shows one in three colonies have been wiped out by a virulent parasite called varroa.

Hundreds of beekeepers, many from the mainly agricultural county of Norfolk, are marching on Downing Street to demand �8m to fight bee disease.

Bees are vital in pollinating plants and flowers including farmers crops.

It is the second time this year the BBKA has pleaded with the government for cash to fund research into bee health.

At the moment �200,000 from the �1.5m government budget for the honey industry is spent on stopping disease in the country's 184,000 hives.

Strategy needed

Beekeeper Patrick Laslett, from Norwich, said: "It's the smallest amount in Europe and it's estimated that bees bring �165m to the economy.

"That's a very small percentage being spent on research in comparison to the good that bees do."

The BBKA said �8m over five years could be spent on approving medicines for use in hives and breeding improved bee strains that are resistant to the parasitic mite, varroa.

But in a statement, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said: " We need a clear understanding of disease threats and how to tackle them.

"That's why we're developing a strategy which will set out the objectives and priorities for the bee health programme over the next 10 years.

"Demands for substantially increased funding in the current financial climate are unrealistic, particularly when there is not any clear strategy."