Via Prison Planet.com » Sci Tech
Louise Gray
London Telegraph
May 23, 2010
Beekeepers lost one in six hives last winter due to disease and cold weather, according to the latest statistics.
The losses are much higher than the natural rate of up to 10 per cent and reflect growing concerns that bee numbers are falling in Britain.
However, beekeepers are optimistic that colonies are in better shape than previous years, especially after such a harsh winter.
In 2008/09 one in five hives were lost over the winter and a third died out the year before.
The British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA) said it was good news that 80 per cent of honey bee colonies made it through the coldest winter in 31 years. The highest losses of 26 per cent were recorded in the north of England, and lowest losses of 12.8 per cent were recorded in the south west of England.
