Now we are well into the spring time inventory handled like our bees with unusually harsh winter. It was the loss of the British honeybee estimated by the British Association beekeeper population is around 17%, compared to 19% in the last year of the great loss of 30% between 2007-2008! However, I have some stories and heard rumors about Scotland losses is as high as 50% for some Beeks here. Significant regional variations reveal the BBKA survey. Beekeepers in Northern England lost more than a quarter of honeybee colonies, while in the southwest of the least losses recorded: 12.8% of the colonies between November 2009 and March 2010.
Martin Smith, President of BBKA, said this year's losses showed a "small and encouraging improvement" as compared to the previous year and are "better" than the "catastrophic" losses from three years ago. "It demonstrates our honeybees are slow from the intensive care unit, but you're still not healthy enough," he said. "Winter losses between 7-10% is acceptable."
So definitely an improvement, especially when considering we have had such hard winter! I personally think the harsh winter will prove useful, a creditor is Darwinian. This weaker bees can no longer reproduce and so any defects or undesirable traits you die you may have had.
The other good news is that Mebership of the BBKA 20% has increased. I personally know, some of our local associations in Scotland record numbers see their courses. Plus this site is becoming more popular to increase visits per month!
The number of hives, probably in the UK is about 80,000 with 48 billion bees.
The USA compared suffered that has wiped out more than a third of their colonies for the fourth consecutive year. Not good! CCD is the main cause of unexplained.
It is believed that honey bees around £ 200 million a year on the British agriculture economy, contribute by bestäubenden a huge variety of cultures. His fear to think what would happen if we lose our bees!
