BILLIONS of honey bees in the US and Europe have disappeared in the last year or so, as in vanished completely. No dead bodies. No evidence. No nothing… just a very very large absence of bees. This phenomenon was first noticed late last year in the USA and has been christened “Colony Collapse Disorder” by the scientists. I know it sounds like some science fiction introduction, but this is actually happening for real and it’s got a lot of people very worried.

So, why should you care?

Well, those honey bees are used to pollinate fruits, crops and nuts on an annual basis. In the US alone this crop is estimated to be worth approximately $15 billion (€11 billion), however this problem is not just limited to the US, it’s happening in Europe as well. This phenomenon is also putting a large dent in honey production and has the science community across the globe truely puzzled.

There are many theories floating around as to what is causing this strange and worrying trend amongst the bee population, but the most prevalent is that mobile phone masts are to blame. The theory is that radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees’ navigation systems, preventing the famously homeloving species from finding their way back to their hives. Improbable as it may seem, there is now some evidence to back this up.

It’s kind of scary when you think about it – that entire colonies of bees are just being wiped out – because the long term impact of such a catastrophe could be far reaching, in respect of food production, harvests and of course the insect food chain itself on our fragile little world.

Worried yet? Well consider this little nugget then…

Albert Einstein is alleged to have speculated that “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left.”

I hardly think we have four years left, but it’s still going to create a nasty imbalance in nature if the scientific community don’t figure out what the hell is causing this, and put a stop to it, and as we all know nature abhorse a vacuum.

Just thought you should know!