Vigilance urged as honey bee population falls 20%

Beekeepers across the country need to be more vigilant fighting the parasites that prey on honey bees if they want to keep their colonies alive, warn experts at the University of Limerick (UL).

The caution comes as new data reveals the nation’s honey bee population has declined by almost 20% this year, a higher than average mortality rate.

“Over a number of years, colony losses in Ireland tend to be higher than the average in other countries,” said Mary Coffey from the national apiculture programme at UL.