Nearly a quarter of Belgium’s bee population disappeared last winter

The bee population in Belgium fell by 22.5% last winter, according to a survey published by the Honeybee Valley platform at Ghent University (UGent), reports RTBF/Belga.

Research was conducted in collaboration with the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W) and the non-profit beekeeping association Cari.

As part of the survey, some 710 beekeepers were surveyed across the country. Together, they testified to the disappearance of 1,679 bee colonies last winter.

"A winter mortality rate of 10% is considered normal," said Ellen Danneels, curator beekeeper at Honeybee Valley. "With an average of 22.5%, we're well above that, but it's not an extreme figure."

Even though beekeepers expect each year that some of their colonies will not survive the cold season, the findings were not welcomed by Honeybee Valley.

In 2024, the mortality rate of bee colonies was 22.3%, compared to 17% in 2023. Danneels identified two main factors that could explain this high mortality.

• The Varroa destructor mite is particularly harmful to bee colonies. According to the survey, 45.3% of beekeepers attempt to control this invasive species by treating their hives with oxalic acid, commonly known as sorrel salt.
• The decline in bee colonies may also be linked to Asian hornets, another invasive species that has become increasingly widespread in Belgium in recent years. Nearly one in ten beekeepers discovered empty hives after an Asian hornet attack.

Brussels, the region with the smallest bee population, recorded the highest mortality rate, at 44%. In contrast, in Flemish Brabant, which has the largest bee population in Belgium, the population declined by only 7.9% last winter.

Photos: ©Honeybee Valley