This past winter, Dutch beekeepers lost about 10 percent of their bee colonies. According to Wageningen University in the Netherlands, this means that winter mortality has been roughly the same over the past three years.
The results are from a telephone survey of beekeepers carried out on April 2 by the Dutch Beekeepers Association and bee researchers from Wageningen UR.
After three years in a row with acceptable winter mortality, the researchers are cautiously hoping that the high mortality rates are a thing of the past. However, it is still unclear why the mortality has declined. One reason might be that beekeepers combat the parasitic varroa mite more conscientiously each year, even in mid-winter.
More information is available at http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/newsarticle/Low-winter-mortality-in-bee-colonies-for-the-third-year-in-a-row.htm.
