Low mortality of Dutch honeybee colonies this winter

Last winter saw the lowest winter mortality of bee colonies for many years. While the loss rate was still around 20% in 2011, it fell below 10% over the last two years and this year was just 6.5%. Winter mortality in the Netherlands is measured by a honeybee surveillance programme conducted by Naturalis and Wageningen UR in partnership with the Dutch Beekeepers Association (NBV).