This Week in ‘Our Adventures in Science’ Series sponsored by Bayer we look at the fact that Bees are disappearing all around the world.

In Northern America bees are dying to the extent that they now have their own syndrome called ‘Colony Collapse Disorder’. The strange thing is we don’t quite know why. On Saturday we go in search of an answer.

There seems to be many factors at play. One of the big causes certainly seems to be the industrialisation of bees where in America for example 1.5 million bees are transported to California just to pollinate the almond trees alone. The way bees are being kept and worked in such larger numbers seems to be causing problems.

But there are other concerns like pesticides in the countryside and a lack of food for bees. There’s also something scary called the Varrora Mite which is killing bees here in Ireland.

And if bees are in trouble, we're all in trouble – 'If the bee disappeared from the surface of the Earth than man would have no more than four years left to live' is a quote often misattributed to Einstein. The truth is no one's sure who said this but whoever said it, the sentiment is true. Bees are crucial for our lives on earth and without them food would be in a very short supply. Bees pollinate a third of the food we eat. You do the Maths.

Along the way we speak to Irish Filmmaker Ross McDonnell who made a movie in 2009 called ‘Colony’ all about bees dying....

We also speak to Ireland’s best known Beekeeper Philip McCabe who, as well as being the PRO for the Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Association, attempted to break the world record for the world’s largest Bee Beard. 

 

That's this Saturday on Futureproof from 10am.