‘Steady decline’ in honey crop

BEEKEEPERS have raised concerns over the future of honeybees as an annual survey showed a “steady decline” in the honey crop.

The British Beekeepers Association’s (BBKA) survey revealed beekeepers in England produced an average 23.8 lbs (11.8 kg) of honey per hive this year, down 2.3 lbs on last year.

While weather can cause fluctuations in honey yield, the organisation said it is the steady overall decline in quantity that is worrying, with long-time beekeepers saying a crop of 50-100lbs was typical in the 1950s.

The survey also revealed the factors worrying beekeepers about the future of their honeybees, with almost two-thirds (62%) concerned about pesticides including neonicotinoids which have been linked to declines in bees.

A third (31%) feared the loss of forage from agricultural development, 28% were worried about varroa mite pests, 28% were concerns about the invasive Asian hornet which preys on honeybees and 28% were anxious about climate change.

The survey of 1,446 beekeepers in Wales and England, members of the BBKA and the Welsh Beekeepers Association, found the south east of England was the most productive area, producing an average 30.1lbs of honey per hive.

East England saw beekeepers get an average of 29.3 lbs of honey.

The south west, which suffered a particularly wet summer, saw its crop drop to an average 17.7lbs per hive, while wet conditions in Wales saw similarly low levels of produce, with an average 17.8 lbs.