Humans have valued bees for their honey for thousands of years – and economists have long admired bees for their cooperative work ethic, too. But few of us, whether economists, honey-lovers, or both, have quite appreciated just how much the honey bee has been industrialised – and the simple yet radical invention that made that industrialisation possible. As Tim Harford explains, it's a sign of just how far the modern market economy has penetrated that it now reaches deep into the heart of the beehive. Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Richard Vadon
Bees
News from Elsewhere...
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A couple in Spain has discovered the reason for the buzzing noise that's kept them awake at night - a massive bee colony behind their bedroom wall.
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Thousands of bees made a temporary home on road signs for new houses near Cambridge.
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The wildflower meadows are being planted in 22 parks in north London to boost declining numbers.
Read moreAbout 65,000 bees in two large colonies are discovered within 24 hours in Bridgnorth, Shropshire.
The colony of 50,000 insects caused the roof to sag and honey to drip down the walls.
Read moreHoney was dripping down the walls of St Nicholas' Church in Piddington.
Michael Baggs
Newsbeat reporter
Is a new sugar solution product aimed at saving bees actually a good thing?
Read moreBees are an essential part of the environment but numbers are in decline.
The French cathedral's beekeeper says they would only have got "drunk" on smoke.
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