Huge losses in Czech bee colonies this past winter

Around a quarter of bee colonies in the Czech Republic did not survive the last winter, which is the worst result so far in the last twelve years, according to the international project COLOSS, which monitors the survival rate of wintering bee colonies. More than 9.000 respondents from among beekeepers in the Czech Republic signed up to it. According to scientists, the exceptionally high losses are mainly related to the destructive Varroa mite, which gained momentum unusually early due to last year's warm spring. Beekeepers in Prague, Liberec and Ústí nad Labem recorded the biggest losses.