Brussels, 08/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 5 May, the European Commission published the initial results of a two-year study into honeybee colony mortality in the EU. The countries of northern EU have been the worst hit by the phenomenon, but the causes are still hard to pin down.
Honeybee colony mortality in winter varied between 2.4% and 15.4% between the countries in 2013-2014, according to the initial results of the pan-European epidemiological study on honeybee colony losses (EPILOBEE) published by the European Commission.
This two-year research programme (2012/2014) was co-funded by the European Commission (at a level of €33 million) and focused on 32,000 colonies in 17 member states. In 2012-2013, the mortality rate was between 3.2% and 32.4%.
However, the scientists were unable to conclude that there had been a drop in honeybee colony mortality, as no real statistical difference could be confirmed.
The data collected have still to be analysed in detail.
Mortality rates were above 10% in six member states: Sweden (15.4%), Denmark (14.9%), Belgium (14.8%), France (13.7%), Finland (12.4%) and Estonia (10.2%) and below 5% in five member states: Italy (4.8%), Hungary (4.8%), Poland (4.5%), Slovakia (2.5%) and Lithuania (2.4%). Generally, the countries of northern Europe seem to be the worst affected. The study, which was unable to look at pesticides due to a lack of feasibility, stresses that climate conditions are one of the known causes for colony mortality in winter. However, it also notes that there is a wide range of diseases affecting honeybees: varroa, American and European foulbrood, chronic paralysis, and many more.
During the bee season, colony mortality rates are lower than winter losses, varying between 0.04% and 11.1% in 2014. These levels are close to those observed in summer 2013 (between 0.3% and 13.6%). (Lionel Changeur)