We all appreciate the buzz of the humble bee in the garden, however, not a summer goes past without hearing news that our bee population is under threat, with the finger usually pointing at habitat loss or chemicals containing neonicotinoids.But in reality, there are a whole host of reasons why our vital bee population is in decline.And given they provide pollination services for every one in three bites of the food we eat, their survival is critical to our very way of life.In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, University of Vermont environmental scientist and pollination specialist Samantha Alger talks about her work uncovering the secret life of bees, what is causing the decline in bee numbers, and what we can do so save them.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastLet us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Mark Lynas: Could leaving nature to its own devices be the key to meeting the UK’s climate goals?Andrew Hunter Murray and Dan Schreiber: Is there really no such thing as a fish?Brad Lister: Are we facing an insect apocalypse?Nick Lyon: Filming a DynastyNeil Gemmell: The genetic hunt for the Loch Ness MonsterSteve Brusatte: The truth about dinosaurs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.