In the Northern hemisphere, honey bees did well during this last winter 2013/14. Recent studies from the USA and Germany show a positive trend in honey bee colony survival rates. A pollinator survey in the UK will also soon reveal the current health status of British bees. Are we seeing a turning point for bee health? Let us hope the positive trend will continue and more will be done to tackle major bee health issues like Varroa mite and providing more foraging habitats. 

Bee health and neonicotinoids have also been in the news this month. A new Harvard study proposed they had an effect on bee health but many are skeptical of the study design and conclusions it draws. In contrast, a recent study from the British Royal Academy says the evidence against neonicotinoids is “weak”, in particular as the decline of honey bees started decades before products containing these compounds were used on a larger scale. 

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