Bee survival rate improves after mild winter
The honeybee colony survival rate in England improved dramatically during the mild winter of 2013-14 compared with the previous year, analysis shows.
Overall, one in 10 bee colonies was lost between October 2013 and the end of March, compared with more than one in three during the harsh winter of 2012-13, the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA) annual winter survival survey reveals.
The winter of 2013-14 was much less severe than the previous year, which helped more colonies to survive, the BBKA said.
The survey was carried out during the period in which honeybees were still exposed to crops treated with neonicotinoid crop protection products, which are currently subject to a two-year EU ban after they were linked to a decline in bee health.
The NFU and the UK government have called into question the decision to ban neonicotinoids, insisting it was not based on “sound science”.
The authors of the BBKA study said they would like to see further research on the effects of neonicotinoids on honeybees in the field. They have also voiced concerns about the wider use of crop sprays – such as pyrethroids – in the absence of neonicotinoids.
Read also: Bee decline in UK blamed on intensive farming
The BBKA said there was also an “urgent need” to help honeybees cope with the parasitic varroa mite and honeybee viruses associated with it. Research is needed to find practical solutions to deal with varroa mites, it added.
But although much lower than in previous years, a loss of 9.6% of colonies was still “too high”, the BBKA said. It hopes the government’s national pollinator strategy will help encourage fodder for bees.
The survey showed bee colonies in western regions suffered the least losses (6.8%), while those in the South East suffered most (15%).
The results were compiled by 754 BBKA members randomly selected across England.
Bees are essential to agriculture for pollinating food crops and maintaining biodiversity in the rural environment.
A recent Friends of the Earth report estimated bees were worth £510m a year to the UK economy.
| Winter losses of honeybee colonies in England during the past seven years | |
|---|---|
| Winter | % lost |
| 2007-08 | 30.5% |
| 2008-09 | 18.7% |
| 2009-10 | 17.7% |
| 2010-11 | 13.6% |
| 2011-12 | 16.2% |
| 2012-13 | 33.8% |
| 2013-14 | 9.6% |