Bad news for European Bumblebees

I can't speak for the rest of Europe, but this is something that our newspapers etc have talked about for a few years now. At times it seams climate change is the to blame for everything,that isn't understood.
In the springs of 2012 & 13 found dozens of dead and dying bees, under a goat willow salix capra some thing had eaten their abdomens, leaving only the head and thorax, in some case's they continued crawling around like this for ages. I tried to find out what had caused it, but no one seamed to know, personally I think the bees became chilled and fell to the floor to be eaten by shrews or possibly voles if they ever take insects. This year I didn't find any, possibly the wet winter killed the predators or maybe they died out, who knows?
 
Probably food shortage has something to do with it, but in a few months we will know more, as that is part of my MSc thesis :p
 
here is a photo of the dad and dying Bea's if it is of interest. i hope you help find an answer Lintworm, but i think it will have many smaller parts like a jigsaw, rather than one or two definite cause.
 

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