Britain's honeybees have suffered catastrophic losses this year, putting the pollination of that nation’s fruits and vegetables at risk.
A survey by the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) revealed that nearly one in three of the UK's 240,000 honeybee hives did not survive through last winter and spring. These losses are higher than the one in five colonies which had been reported dead earlier this year by the government after 10 percent of hives had been inspected.
Average winter bee losses due to poor weather and disease vary from between 5 percent and 10 percent, making a 30 percent loss deeply worrying.