The paper also points out:
' The results of this study highlight the growing importance of pollination services as an agricultural input across Europe, with demand for honeybee pollination services rising 4.9 times as fast as available stocks. In many countries, this has caused the availability of honeybees relative to insect pollinated crop area to fall substantially. These trends are driven by substantial increases in oilseed crop cultivation and with this, demand for pollination services.'
There has been a lot of speculation that the recent 2 year suspension of 3 neonicotinoids will lead to a reduction in the acerage of Oil seed rape/canola planted - so paradoxically the ban may become a driver to reduce colony numbers in Europe.
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