Signals of mobile phones have exterminated millions of bees, as it is believed to upset their navigation leading to their death due to exposure, according to a study.

A study has found bees do not return to their hives if nearby mobiles are left switched on. When exposed, they lose their sense of direction, The Sun newspaper reported.

Hives are left without adult bees and unhatched insects are abandoned, leading to their death.

The 'disappearance' of bees from their hives has baffled many beekeepers, as some areas in the UK have reported death of up to 90 per cent of bees.

John Chapple, the Chairman of the London Beekeepers Association, recently found 30 of his 40 beehives empty.

"The bees had just vanished," he said.

This is not the first time that such reports of 'disappearance' have come to light.

Last year there were similar reports from the US for the first time and the phenomenon was termed Colony Collapse Disorder among bees.

In the UK, the first report of CCD has come from London and the South East.