Native Irish Honey Bee Society – Apis mellifera mellifera

Native Irish Honey Bee Society
Apis mellifera mellifera

COLOSS SURVEY 2015

COLOSS SURVEY 2015
Controlling pest and pathogens in a colony is the most serious challenge facing beekeepers. Not only is the number of pathogens increasing, but also a complex interaction between these pathogens is emerging which is making their management or control much more difficult. Although it is difficult to ascertain with certainty the damage these pathogens are having on the health of our honeybee colonies, the negative effect of these pathogens is best reflected and quantified in the colony losses being experienced by beekeepers. Thus since 2008 as part of the National Apiculture Programme we have been monitoring colony losses on an annual basis using the standardised questionnaire produced by the COLOSS network. This international based network not only aims to quantify losses but also to identify possible causes for these losses. To ensure that the data we collect is reliable and representative of Irish beekeeping we are encouraging all beekeepers to participate in this year’s survey. Thus if you are a beekeeper with 1 colony or 201 colonies, we would be grateful to receive a completed survey from you. This can be simply done by clicking on the link

The latest date for returns is the 12 June 2015

Thank you
Regards
Mary F Coffey

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