2024 Survey of beekeeping practice

Introduction

Dear beekeeper,
The B-RAP (Bridging Research And Practice) group: https://coloss.org/activities/coreprojects/brap/ of the international COLOSS (prevention of COlony LOSSes) association: https://coloss.org/ aims to understand the sources of information used by beekeepers and find better ways of translating research results to beekeeping practice. A number of surveys of beekeepers, scientists and extension specialists have been carried out and results will shortly be published in a scientific paper and will be presented at the European Bee Research Conference (EurBee) in Estonia in September.
The purpose of this current survey is to understand beekeepers’ motivations for keeping bees, their practices in queen replacement, control of diseases and movement of their colonies for pollination or honey production. I would be very grateful if you could find a few minutes to complete this survey. The results will be entirely anonymous, but will greatly aid our understanding of these issues.
A little bit about me. I have been keeping bees since 1980, and for many years managed more than 100 colonies at Rothamsted Research, UK, whilst carrying out studies on bee diseases, bee behaviour and pollination ecology. I also helped to set up the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects at the University of Sussex, carrying out work on bee breeding for varroa tolerance and pesticides and bees. For ten years I was Science Director of the International Bee Research Association and Senior Editor of the Journal of Apicultural Research. I am a member of the Executive Committee of COLOSS and the Defra Bee Health Advisory Forum in the UK. I am currently involved in the INSIGNIA-EU project: https://www.insignia-bee.eu/ which is using citizen scientist beekeepers across the EU to use their honey bee colonies to monitor various types of pollution. I am joint Editor of the Beekeepers Quarterly.
If you have any queries please contact me on: norman.carreck@btinternet.com
Thank you very much in advance for your participation.
Norman Carreck.
Carreck Consultancy Ltd.,
Woodside Cottage,
Dragons Lane,
Shipley,
West Sussex,
RH13 8GD,
United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0)1403 741652
Mob: +44 (0)791 8670169
Carreck Consultancy Ltd. is a Company registered in England and Wales No: 11346175.
Registered Address: The Barn, Golden Square, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9DP, UK.
1.Background

In which country do you keep your bees?
2.In which county do you keep your bees?
3.How many honey bee colonies do you normally keep?
4.How many years have you been keeping bees?
5.Are you a member of a beekeeping association?
6.What is your motivation for keeping bees (check all that apply)?
7.Queen replacement

What strain of bee do you think you have?
8.Do you rear your own queens?
9.If you rear your own queens, what is your motivation (Please tick all which apply)?
10.Do you buy queens?
11.If you buy queens, which strain do you choose?
12.If you buy queens, are they reared in the country or imported from abroad?
13.If you buy queens, what is your motivation (Please check all which apply)?
14.Do you collect swarms?
15.Disease control

Do you treat your bees for varroa?
16.If yes, which methods do you use (Please check all that apply)?
17.Do you measure the level of varroa in your colonies?
18.If yes, which methods do you use (please check all that apply)?
19.Movement of bees

Do you move your bees for pollination?
20.Do you move your bees for honey production?
21.Honey production

On average, how much honey do you produce per colony (kg)?