Keeping bees in cities could actually be BAD for them: City hives run the risk insect starvation British scientists have warned that inexperienced beekeepers could risk spreading certain honey bee diseases Bees living in city hives cannot find enough flowers to feed on locally and can end up sick or starving to death They say city dwellers looking to help honey bees should plant their favourite flowers Urban beekeepers who set up hives in cities could be harming honey bees, scientists claim Pictured is a hive on the roof of Mitre House in Regents Street, London British scientists claim urban beekeepers who set up hives in cities - in a bid to help the ailing honey bee population - could actually be harming the creatures. Research has revealed that bees living in city hives cannot find enough flowers to feed on locally and can end up sick or starving to death. The scientists suggest people living in cities who want to help the bees should grow bee-friendly flowers instead of setting up hives for the insects. Spurred on by widespread coverage of declining bee numbers, urban beekeeping has never been more popular, particularly in London. But scientists at the University of Sussex have warned the boom could be bad for honey bees and other flower-visiting insects as it risks overtaxing the available nectar and pollen supply, and potentially encourages the spread of diseases. Professor Francis Ratnieks and Dr Karin Alton from the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) at the university, explored the trend and public perception of honey bee decline. They also looked at the various awareness campaigns that have called on the public to get involved and help the bees, in a study published in The Biologist. The duo noted that most of the promotion of beekeeping is directed at urban areas, especially London. Data from BeeBase, a register of apiaries maintained by the UK's National Bee Unit, showed that in five years - from 2008 to 2013 - the number of beekeepers in Greater London tripled from 464 to 1,237 and the number of hives doubled from 1,677 to more than 3,500. There are now approximately 10 hives in every square kilometre of London compared to one hive in the same area across England as a whole. Data from BeeBase, a register of apiaries maintained by the UK's National Bee Unit, showed that in five years - from 2008 to 2013 - the number of beekeepers in Greater London tripled from 464 to 1,237 and the number of hives doubled from 1,677 to more than 3,500 The Beekeepers Association has created an exhaustive list of flowers, plants and trees that attract bees They include shrubs that flower this time of year, including: Myrtle, Butterfly Bush and shrub roses including Angelina and Ballerina Friends of the Earth is running 'The Bee Cause' to map the country in wild flowers and are offering 'bee saver kits' in return for donations The biologists said many restaurants, galleries, businesses and shops use rooftop hives as a means of visibly greening their business or as a team-building exercise for staff. Professor Ratnieks said: 'Both honey bees and wild bees have been declining. Although the causes are complex the most important one seems to be loss of flowers and habitat. Since World War Two, the spread of intensive farming has greatly reduced areas rich in wildflowers, such as hay meadows. In the UK, 75 per cent of the total land is now agricultural, so the lack of flowers is a major problem for our bees. He believes planting more flowers is a better way of helping the honey bees instead of building more hives. He said: 'If the problem is not enough flowers, increasing the number of hives risks making that problem worse. The honey bee (pictured) is just one of many insect species which feed on nectar and pollen. Having a high density of honey bee hives in a city is not only bad for honey bees, but may also affect bumblebees and other species feeding on the same flowers, scientists warned The honey bee is just one of many insect species which feed on nectar and pollen. Having a high density of honey bee hives is not only bad for honey bees, but may also affect bumblebees and other species feeding on the same flowers. The scientists said that as the number of urban hives increases, there needs to be sufficient food and there may not be enough flowers in the parks situated in built-up areas. They believe the high colony density in London and an influx of inexperienced beekeepers also runs the risk of spreading certain honey bee diseases, especially American foulbrood, a highly contagious bacterial infection of honey bee larvae. The infection is rare in Britain, but a high density of hives managed by novice beekeepers creates a situation in which it could easily spread if it got started and the only 'cure' is to burn hives, they warned. The researchers calculated each new hive in London would need the equivalent of one hectare of borage, a plant that attracts mainly honey bees, to live comfortably. A beekeeper is pictured on the roof of Mitre House in Regents Street, London Co-author Dr Karin Alton said: 'Our calculations indicate that each new hive placed in London would need the equivalent of one hectare of borage, a plant that attracts mainly honey bees, or over eight hectares of lavender, a plant that attracts mainly bumblebees but some honey bees.' We need to bear in mind that the honey bee may have declined but is in no imminent danger of extinction, unlike some other critically endangered insects in the UK. There are better ways to help our declining honeybee population than encouraging beekeeping to the point of overstocking certain areas. She said: 'Rather than encouraging more hives, a better alternative would be to translate the concern that people have for bees by providing more flowers and habitat.' Professor Ratnieks said that he does not want to discourage people taking up beekeeping as a hobby, but it should not be seen as a way of helping bees in busy, built-up areas.