LONDON, Nov 5: Beekeepers, some wearing the protective suits of their trade, demonstrated in London on Wednesday to ask that politicians devote more money to halting the decline of the country’s honey bees.

Several hundred beekeepers marched from the Houses of Parliament to deliver a 140,000-signature petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s 10 Downing Street office.

The United States has seen a dramatic decline in the number of its honey bees since 2006, when beekeepers began reporting losing 30 per cent to 90 per cent of their hives.

Scientists have been unable to determine the cause of the problem, known as Colony Collapse Disorder. Possible explanations include pesticides, a new parasite or pathogen, or a combination of immune-suppressing stresses.—AP