Scottish Colony losses 2012 1.0

In 2012, a random apiary survey was instigated by the Scottish Government’s Animal Health branch. From a randomised sample of 80 beekeepers registered on BeeBase as keeping bees in Scotland (10% of those registered at the time of sampling), 65 took part in all aspects of the survey. The survey consisted of a questionnaire, inspection of all colonies within the apiary, testing of a sample of 30 adult bees for disease symptoms and one week’s collection from a hive debris trap. A further short questionnaire was completed in spring 2013 to establish colony losses during the winter which followed sampling.