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Vanishing bees cause concernPublished: Friday, 13 April, 2007, 01:05 PM Doha Time

LONDON: London beekeepers said yesterday that up to three-quarters of their bees have simply vanished without reason.
John Chapple, head of the London Beekeepers’ Association, said that when he opened his 40 hives after the winter, only 10 were unaffected by a mystery plague. Twenty-three of the hives were empty and seven contained dead bees.
Because bees pollinate fruit trees and crops, the situation could seriously affect crops.
Chapple said: “The problem was that most of the bees had just disappeared. It was like the Mary Celeste. There’s no chance they had been stolen.
“The ones left did not seem to have been attacked by varroa (a tiny parasitical mite). I really do not know what has happened.”
He said: “Many colleagues and bee clubs tell me that they are experiencing something similar. The Pinner and Ruislip beekeepers’ group told me that they have lost 50% to 75% of their bees. I don’t know what is happening, but the bees are just going.”
Beekeepers fear this may be the start of colony collapse disorder (CCD), a phenomenon sweeping the US and Europe, and possibly the most serious disease yet faced by bees.
The national bee unit, part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which has come up with the CCD theory, does not know what could be causing it. – London Evening Standard

“Because bees pollinate fruit trees and crops, the situation could seriously affect crops.”

Honey Bees (the only ones affected) do not pollinate wheat, barley, or any other grain crops.

Time for bed now. Have fun.