There is some hope appearing on the horizon for British bees, although experts warn to watch out for hive thefts as value of honey continues to rise. 

A word of caution 

There has been a sharp rise in the number of beehives being stolen over the past few months - an economic reminder of the colony losses beekeepers have experienced over the past few years. John Howat, secretary of the Bee Farmers' Association, which represents the 200 to 300 large-scale commercial beekeepers who make their living from pollination services and honey production, says that thefts have always happened, "But this year is worse. Honeybees are in short supply, but because of all the publicity about losses, far more people wish to keep bees. The law of supply and demand has tripled the cost of a colony of bees this year."

The worst theft so far was 18 hives from a single site in Shropshire.

A more promising 2009...

Defra says the past two years have seen recorded losses of between 10 and 15 per cent in honeybee numbers, about three times the traditional amount. It looks more promising for 2009, however. "So far we have not seen any effects on pollination this year, which is good because if losses had continued at the same rate as last year we could have done," says NFU horticulture adviser Chris Hartfield.

Due to the extra diligence of beekeepers, it seems more bees have survived the cold winter, whilst the warmer weather encourages them to mate.

Pesticides not to blame for bee deline, new research suggests

Despite regular tests, it is also looking like pesticides have less to do with the decline of bees than initially thought too. There have been no confirmed cases of bee poisoning from imidacloprid in the UK. In France, its use on sunflower crops has been blamed for colony losses and led to a ban. Approval as a treatment for maize seed has also been withdrawn. Despite that, colony loss has continued there, says Carreck.

The Soil Association claims bees are more susceptible to pesticide poisoning than other insects because they are less able to break them down, so are more likely to be affected by sub-lethal exposure. But Carreck says the scientific consensus is that the recent losses in France were caused by a combination of other factors, and by pyrethroid-resistant Varroa in particular.

He adds: "You can't rule out a more subtle sub-lethal effect of imidacloprid, perhaps in conjunction with other factors such as disease. And work is underway to look at possible toxic effects of breakdown products of this substance in bees."

Meanwhile, retailers have reacted. The Co-op, for example, has temporarily prohibited neonicotinoid use on its own-brand fresh produce. Imidacloprid has a specific off-label approval for seed treatment of lettuce and a number of brassicas, but these are harvested before ever reaching the flowering stage. "Oilseed rape is probably more of a concern than any horticultural crops," says Carreck.

He points out that although biological controls are being developed for a range of crops, including oilseed rape, we should not assume all such agents are safe to bees. "Some are harmful and protocols for testing are in their infancy," he points out.

There is much that growers can do to help beekeepers improve bee health, says Howat. "Plant field margins and conservation areas with a seed mix of bee-friendly plants," he says. "And be very careful with sprays when flowers are in bloom - although from personal experience I know that orchard managers and farmers are already well aware of this and work closely with me if and when spraying is required."

Operation BumbleBee

Around 500 farmers and growers have taken part in Operation Bumblebee, a scheme run by Syngenta to establish specially designed bee habitats with a mix of flowering plants on farms across the UK. Syngenta says more than 1,000ha have been planted and it is extending the scheme into Europe.

Grower Collaboration

Better liaison between growers and beekeepers would help keep beekeepers informed about spray programmes, and enable farmers and growers can offer more hive sites. "It's not just about getting hives in to pollinate the crop. More hive sites would encourage beekeepers to maintain more colonies, and growers are well placed to offer good habitats, access and security."

The Beebase

The National Bee Unit is developing a sophisticated database - the Beebase - and is inviting professional and amateur beekeepers to supply their details. This will not only allow it to target more beekeepers with advice on colony health but could also encourage liaison between growers and beekeepers.

Funding

The Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council, Defra, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Scottish Government and the Wellcome Trust have put together £10m to fund research & development to improve bee health and will call for project proposals at a meeting next month. These will focus particulrly on projects supporting honeybees, as they are responsible for 85 per cent of crop pollination.

Assault on Varroa

Defra-funded studies conducted at Warwick HRI and Rothamsted Research have found potential biological control agents (fungi) that could be used against Varroa mites. The next stage of the work is to look at the effectiveness of the chosen species and how they can be applied in practice. Among the methods being considered is a "fungal footbath", which the bees must pass through on their way into the hive.

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