Results of Standardized Beekeeper Survey of Honey Bee Colony Losses in Ukraine for Winter 2018-2019

Abstract

Purpose. Analysis of honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758) colony losses in Ukraine for winter 2018–2019 in comparison with the previous year in different physiographic zones of Ukraine and at the operations of different sizes. Methods. Survey of Ukrainian beekeepers for winter 2018–2019 using the standardised COLOSS questionnaire (International honey bee research association COLOSS). A total of 677 valid questionnaires from five physiographic zones of Ukraine were processed. Results. The total loss rate of honey bee colonies for winter 2018–2019 in Ukraine was 11.18 %, the mortality rate was 5.95 %; the losses due to unsolvable queen problems – 3.37 %, and due to natural disasters – 1.86 %. The total losses in the forest-steppe and the mixed forest zones were 16.2 % and 15.1 %, respectively, whereas in the Ukrainian Carpathians – 7.2 %. The most common sign of dead colonies in Ukraine was the presence of a large number of dead bees in or in front of the hive (25.3 %). The loss rate in the small operations was almost 18 %, in medium – 8.38 % and in large ones – 7.6 %. 77.8 % of respondents treated their bee colonies against Varroa destructor in the period from April 2018 to April 2019. 16.4 % respondents treated their colonies without prior monitoring of mite rate. The most commonly used acaricides were the veterinary medicinal products containing flumetrin (15.1 %), amitraz in strips (11.67 %) and fumigation (9.9 %), as well as oxalic acid – spraying and sublimation (9.5 % and 8.4 %, respectively). Conclusions. The total losses of honey bee colonies for winter of 2018–2019 (11.18 %) remained stable compared to the previous year (for winter of 2017–2018: 11.30 %), the losses due to colonies death (5.95 %) and losses due to natural disasters (1.86 %) decreased slightly (for winter of 2017–2018: 6.7 % and 2.4 %, respectively), whereas losses due to unsolvable queen problems increased form 2.1 % to 3.37 %). The highest losses were observed in the forest-steppe zone and the zone of mixed forests, whereas the lowest in the Ukrainian Carpathians. The smaller beekeeping operations with at most 50 colonies suffer significantly higher losses than larger operations.