Honey harvest, Bees and pollination

Charlotte Smith finds out why this year's honey harvest is 40% down for many producers. She joins amateur and professional beekeepers at the Swindon Apiary in Wiltshire.

With varroa mite to contend with, and field trials underway to assess the possible impact of neonicotinoid pesticides on the UK's declining bee population, Charlotte speaks to two amateur beekeepers, Mike Benson and Ian Cowdy, and professional bee farmer, Terry Cooke.

They acknowledge that whilst more than three quarters of crops cultivated in Europe are dependent on pollinators, bees face many threats, in spite of their significant contribution to agriculture. They also discuss - and sometime agree to disagree - on the pros and cons of the rise in the number of urban beekeepers, an aspect of the public's widespread concern over declining bee numbers, and what's described as 'colony collapse'.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Mark Smalley.