IF bees could talk, they would surely be appealing to the world with the message which 50,000 of them spelled out on the world's first bee billboard.

Paddy Wallace, of Quince Honey Farm, helped create the Save Our Swarms message by attracting live bees to create the wording, helping to attract attention to their dwindling populations.

The sign was created outside the farm in South Molton, North Devon, after owners were approached by wine company Banrock Station, which is contributing 5p per bottle to help the Co-Operative to raise £45,000 to improve research into the disappearing bee phenomenon.

Mr Wallace said: "One of our staff did a sponsored beard of bees, and the PR people at Banrock Station saw it and got the idea.

"We were quite keen to help out, because it's helping to raise money to research a very serious problem."

Mr Wallace, who runs the farm with his wife Jean and son Ian, created the sign using a pheromone that mimics the scent of the queen bee.

He gathered up thousands of insects from the hive and released them near the sign.

They only stayed long enough for pictures to be taken, before they were carefully scraped off and released again near their hive.

Mr Wallace said: "The bees certainly don't seem to suffer any kind of distress, although they would if they were kept away from the hive for long."

He said the Plan Bee campaign was particularly crucial, because there is no Government money to pay for research.

Nobody knows for sure why the bees are disappearing, but Mr Wallace suspects it is the Varroa mite, which weakens their defences and leaves them susceptible to disease. Bees are vital for pollinating crops.