Did you know that one third of the food we eat worldwide relies on pollination by bees?

Without these buzzing bugs, thousands of species of fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants would be at risk. This could lead to global food shortages and big jumps in the price of groceries.

But for some reason, bees are dying out. Each year the earth’s bee population is falling dramatically, putting them in danger of extinction and affecting humans’ food supply. Parasites, weather changes, pollution and loss of their habitat have been blamed for the decline in bee numbers, and scientists across the globe are working to find a solution.

In Australia, researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have come up with an amazing strategy to help the effort – tiny tracking backpacks for bees!

These trackers, which measure only a quarter of a centimetre and weigh just 5.4 milligrams, have been carefully glued to the backs of 15,000 honeybees. They use identification technology to see where bees are going, how far they travel and what their routines are.

The high-tech backpacks also monitor external factors that can cause stress to bees such as extreme weather and pesticides, and how these issues impact bees’ ability to pollinate. This information is sent back to the scientists at the CSIRO, who will use it to work out how best to tackle the problems facing bees.

How you can help bees

• Plant bee-friendly flowers in your garden to provide nectar for bees. Fewer people grow these sorts of flowers in their gardens these days, and bees are struggling to find food sources.

• Try to choose honey from local producers to help small-scale producers carry on with their work. They’re essential for keeping up bee populations.

• Be bee-friendly! Bees only sting when provoked, so if you see one out and about try not to disturb it. Don’t try and swat a bee away if it’s near you, just stay still and it will soon lose interest and buzz away.