COLOSS ↗

Winter colony losses vary between regions, beekeepers and management systems, making long-term comparison difficult. The COLOSS survey provides a common framework for documenting losses and the practices associated with them across Europe.

Beekeepers complete a standardised questionnaire on colony losses, hive management, migration and other risk factors. Greek responses are analysed over time and compared with data collected across many countries.

The survey has produced comparable long-term evidence on colony losses and associated practices. In Greece, four years of data linked lower losses with a transition toward organic beekeeping practices.

• Kagiali E., Kokoli M., Vardakas P., Goras G., Hatjina F., Patalano S.* (2023). Four-year overview of winter colony losses in Greece: citizen science evidence that transitioning to organic beekeeping practices reduces colony losses. Insects 14 (2), 193. DOI: 10.3390/insects14020193 →
• COLOSS monitoring group including Patalano S. (2022). Honey bee colony loss rates in 37 countries using the COLOSS survey for winter 2019-2020: the combined effects of operation size, migration and queen replacement. Journal of Apicultural Research DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2022.2113329 →
• COLOSS monitoring group including Patalano S. (2020). Honey bee colony winter loss rates for 35 countries participating in the COLOSS survey for winter 2018-2019, and the effects of a new queen on the risk of colony winter loss. Journal of Apicultural Research (TJAR) DOI:10.1080/00218839.2020.1797272 →
• COLOSS monitoring group including Patalano S. (2019). Loss rates of honey bee colonies during winter 2017/18 in 36 countries participating in the COLOSS survey, including effects of forage sources. Journal of Apicultural Research 58, (4) 479-485. DOI:10.1080/00218839.2019.1615661 →

Prevention of honey bee COlony LOSSes

https://coloss.org/activities/monitoring/