The cataclysmic problems US beekeers are experiencing this spring have begun to manifest themselves in the UK for the first time.
US beekeepers are reeling from so-called Colony Collapse Disorder, a syndrome that has destroyed as much as 50 percent of bee stocks in some states. The cause is unknown, although some suspect a new range of nicotine-based pesticides could be upsetting bee navigation abilities. Upon opening hives as spring approaches, US beekeepers have been met with empty hives: entire colonies having seemingly upped and flown away.
Now, news is that in London about 4,000 hives - two-thirds of the bee colonies in the capital - are estimated to have died this winter.
The normal loss rate is 15 percent. In Herefordshire and Worcestershire, of 20 hives checked, only one had survived. Again, the cause is unknown, but the symptoms are similar. Bee-keepers in Poland, Greece, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal have also reported heavy losses.
In the 1990s, the honeybee population was badly affected by Varroa destructor. As well as almost eradicating Britain's wild swarms, many bee-keepers were put out of business and membership of the BBKA halved from 16,000 in 1990 to 8,000 a decade later. Chemicals were eventually developed to treat the condition, leading to a revival in the number of hives.
“It’s deeply concerning,” says the NFU’s Horticultural Adviser, Chris Hartfield, “Anyone with a basic knowledge of plant biology can tell you that. What we’re also concerned about is that funding for the sort of biological R & D work which might present a solution has been consistently slashed over the years. In a way, this goes beyond just bees.”
“We’ve got 40-60 colonies and we’ve lost one, says Claire Waring.
“It seems to be very sporadic. It may well be that beekeepers didn’t treat against verromites, - they are a bug that can attack colonies, but it’s just too early to say.
A spokesman for Defra also urged caution, arguing that further research would have to be undertaken before any definite conclusions could be reached.
