Everett Griner talks about what has caused the increase of honeybee colonies in today’s Agri View.
Well, honeybees are on the rebound. An earlier count this spring showed over 8,000 more colonies of honeybees than 2014. Does that mean we found a way to stop colony collapse disorder (CCD)? No. It means that bee farmers are doing a better job. See, the Verroa Mite was one of the reasons for the bee decline. We haven’t eliminated the Verroa Mite yet. But beekeepers have produced a device of some kind that scrapes the mite off of the bee when it enters the hive. And then, as the mite is removed, the bee eats the mite. It doesn’t sound like much, but it is working. Now will it solve the bee problem? No. But it helps. CCD is a still a mystery and still a serious challenge. Something still has to be done. Meanwhile, the fight goes on.
That’s Agri View for today, I’m Everett Griner.
From: Bayer CropScience
No Decline in Honey Bee Populations
Study Findings Indicate a Long-Term Growth of Bee Populations
Honey bees colony numbers are not decreasing. This is the result of various studies, whose findings were published on the AGProfessional website.
Since 2000, the FAO has recorded a steady growth of bee populations worldwide. Within a decade, there were ten million more beehives than before the study began, which corresponds to a growth of 13,2 percent. In total 75 million hives were counted, a new peak since the beginning of the records in 1961.
Although their regional development differs in details, the bee populations within Europe, Canada and the USA are growing steadily. Only five percent of the European colonies lost more than 20 percent of their inhabitants during the winter in 2012/13. This indicates a generally healthy condition within the hives. In 2012 the FAO counted close to 17 million beehives, the highest amount since 2000.
According to Canada Stats, the bee population in the North American country is steadily recovering since the Varroa infestation of 1978 – despite fluctuations. Within the last five years, the number of beehives grew by around 18 percent to 675,000. Similarly, the bee population in the USA is has been hovering around two and a half million since 2001 and is trending upwards.
You can read the publication Bee population rising around the world.
Take a detailed look at the FAO study.
You can look at the findings of Stats Canada.
Read the information collected by USDA Statistics.