Plague Killed 2 Billion Bees; Beekeepers outside Parliament Yesterday. They Marched on Downing Street to Demand Increased Research Funding

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Byline: David Derbyshire

TWO billion honey bees died last year after being struck by an infestation that is devastating hives across the country, according to a study.

The crisis is so severe that England could run out of homeproduced honey by Christmas.

Beekeepers say one in three colonies has been killed off since last autumn by the deadly varroa mite, at a cost to the economy of [pounds sterling]54million.

Yesterday, hundreds of beekeepers marched on Downing Street calling for more funding to investigate the disaster, which is also threatening fruit and vegetable growers.

Tim Lovett, president of the British Beekeepers' Association …