Today
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© Gerhard Monkhorst
Despite the changeable and cold weather, more bees were seen during the National Bee Count than last year. An average of eighteen bees were observed per count, which is three more than last year. Although this is an increase, it is still less than previous years. At that time there were an average of about twenty bees.
Counted many species that can withstand the weather well
The 2,300 participants saw 40,000 bees, bumblebees and hoverflies during the ten-day count. These are mainly the species that can withstand the cold, such as the honey bee, the earth bumblebee and mason bees.
“Honey bees have ‘central heating’ in the beehive. They keep warm together by eating honey and being active,” explains bee expert Koos Biesmeijer of Naturalis Biodiversity Center. Bumblebees keep themselves warm by their hair and the vibration of their wings. Many other species only become active when it is warmer than 15 degrees.
Marked decline in honey bees
However, the honey bee was seen relatively less than in previous years. Of the pollinators counted, 16.5 percent were honey bees, while in previous years this was 25 or even 35 percent. Further research should show whether this has to do with winter mortality.
The Netherlands has 360 bee species, half of which are endangered. Nearly 35 bee species have disappeared.
