Take a leaf out of Pooh's book and eat more honey. And, says the British Beekeepers Association, support other bee-related products, be they face creams or ice-creams, so long as they are produced in the UK. Creating a healthy market makes beekeeping more attractive and financially rewarding; therefore, more people are likely to take it up, increasing bee numbers. So stock up on beeswax lip balm from the Cotswolds-based skincare company Apples & Pears (£9.25, www.apples-and-pears.com ) and honey marmalade from Brynderi Honey Farm in Wales (£3.80; www.brynderihoney farm.com ).

Sadly, this approach isn't guaranteed to save our bees. The Farming Minister, Lord Rooker, said recently that he feared honeybees could be extinct in ten years, which would be devastating for farmers who rely on them to pollinate crops.

Only time will tell whether our enthusiasm for honeycomb and beeswax furniture polish will match the dual destruction caused by disease and invasive species. The big problem is the varroa mite, which arrived in the UK about 15 years ago. It feeds on adult bees and larvae, and spreads viruses. Meanwhile, foreign species, such as the Asian hornet, which preys on honeybee colonies, make matters worse.

Then there's the mysterious colony collapse disorder, which has wiped out hives in the US and Europe and threatens to spread to the UK. Last year the Bumblebee Conservation Trust encouraged us to make our gardens wildlife-friendly with the help of green methods (www.greengardener.co.uk ) and by growing old-fashioned wild flowers, such as lavender, geranium, honeysuckle and foxgloves.

If you want to be fully committed, what about a beekeeping summer course and then taking on a hive yourself (www.bee-craft.com )?

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