http://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/live_animals/bees/study_on_mortality/index_en.htm
Study on honey bee colony mortality
An European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) project in
2009<http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supporting/pub/27e.htm> indicated
that the honeybee surveillance systems in the EU Member States were weak.
There was a lack of representative official data at country level and
comparable data at EU level to estimate the extent of colony mortalities.
With the guidance[image:
pdf]<http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/bees/docs/annex_i_pilot_project_en.pdf>
[image: Choose translations of the previous link] and technical assistance
of the EU reference laboratory and the national reference laboratories, a
new study (EPILOBEE[image:
pdf]<http://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/live_animals/bees/docs/bee-report_en.pdf>
[image: Choose translations of the previous link], A pan-European
epidemiological study on honeybee colony losses 2012-2013) addresses for
the first time these weaknesses by harmonising the data collection methods.
It also assists the veterinary services to improve their capacity to
undertake such surveillance. The methodology can be implemented and used as
necessary, adapted to specific needs as appropriate for further work such
as applied research, policy development, routine surveillance or to
cross-check with data from other sources (e.g. from national or regional
monitoring, from international standardised beekeeper surveys etc.). The
EPILOBEE project was co-financed by the European Commission and by the 17
participating EU countries.
This surveillance project resulted in a wealth of data which is still being
analysed. The study is a descriptive project of mortality of existing
colonies in the surveyed apiaries. It is being repeated for another year to
see trends.
*Preliminary conclusions of the study*
-
Situation of colony mortalities appears to be better than previously
expected.
-
The honey bee colony mortality is higher than normal in certain
countries, with significant regional (and possibly temporal) differences.
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