I used to get panicky if there was any chance that I'd get stung by a bee. Now I'm worried that I'll never get stung again.

Native and honey bees in North America and Europe are vanishing. And, as anyone who's well-versed about the birds & bees can tell you, that is very, very bad news for our flora and food supply.

According to the BBC Science and OnEarth Magazine, we're in the grip of a pollination crisis. Bee species and hives are being destroyed by a number of causes: Irresponsible use of pesticides, deadly parasite infestations, climate change, fewer wild areas and the failure to regulate deadly pollutants. Not to mention the random few that I've swatted in my time.

The agricultural impact alone would be devastating. In fact, it's estimated that a third of our food supply -- worth billions and billions of dollars -- depends on the love of some good bees.

Their disappearance also has a tremendous impact on the biodiversity of our wildflowers and other plant life. (They're disappearing too) Even worse, bees fertilize vegetables and fruit-bearing trees, including almonds, blueberries, watermelon, cherries, avocados, tomatoes or, as one beekeeper put it, "all the good stuff."

And let's not even think about the day we're no longer able to dip into a pot of honey.