I don't know whether this has spread to the antipodes, but the US, UK and other parts of western Europe are suffering from "colony collapse disorder' where huge numbers of honey bees are dying - partly due to some mite that infests the hives. Without bees the world's food sources would dry up in a few years. It is SO important to do nothing that kills bees and everything we gardeners can to provide them with lots of food sources, especially nectar-rich plants,to keep them going.