The Bee Informed Partnership recently released the results of its 2014-2015 Colony Loss Survey.
For the 2014-2015 winter, managed honey bee colony losses were 23.1%.
But for the first time, summer losses exceeded the winter losses at 27.4% for a total year loss of 42.1%.
This was the second year in a row that winter losses were noticeably lower than the nine-year average of 28.7% according to USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.
Still the survey shows beekeepers are losing colonies throughout the summer in addition to in the winter.
Survey co-author Jeff Pettis says the winter loss numbers are more hopeful especially combined with the fact that there has not been much sign of Colony Collapse Disorder for several years.
But high colony losses in the summer and year-round remain very troubling.
In order to meet the growing demand for pollination services, Pettis says researchers need to find better answers to the host of stresses that lead to colony losses.
