It looks like pesticides are implicated in the problem of the disappearing bee population across the globe. The Guardian reported that: pesticides called Neonicotinoids have been suspended from use by the Italian govt. after it accepted that this group of pesticides are implicated in killing honeybees. France, Germany & Slovenia has also issued restrictions on which areas & crops they can be used on. Neonicotinoids are used to kill insects on a range of crops including barley & sugar beet.In Germany Clothianidin has been restricted along the Rhine when bees died after its use. In France Imidacloprid has been banned on sunflowers since 1999 & on sweetcorn since 2003 after a third of honeybees were wiped out. The UK has yet to make any move on the subject.