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I thought to post here as some are visiting my site regarding bees.
Numbers rise and fall with the levels of interest and the severity of the winters. We have sadly just had the worst winter for beekeeping in living memory. There are reports of colossal losses in Scotland, and I personally have lost 60%, and it has been notable that the colonies which failed were headed by 2012 mated queens, so the dismal summer is still having repercussions this year.
Bumbles (properly called Humble bees) are not normally managed by humans apart from those for green house pollination, and they too will have suffered though not to the same extent hopefully.
The poor matings last year have been exacerbated by a very long wet cold winter and the poor weather continues up until and including today so no real relief yet.
Pollination though is a multiple system event. Honey bees are of course important but so are bumbles, solitary bees and other insects and of course the wind. I would not despair quite yet. Plus bees have a remarkable knack of bouncing back. If not this year then next there will be lots again as others of my mind set set about breeding up new colonies from the survivors, and that is the crux really, there are survivors and they are invaluable as they are the winter proven bees, queens which have successfully come through this dreadful weather and are building up their colonies. Given some sunny days to achieve good matings and we will in reality actually benefit from this difficult spell with better quality stock, as Nature has done what is required every now and again and had a wee clear out of the rubbish. As has happened since time beyond time.
Poly Hive
Footnote... pollen patties with no pollen are not much use TBH. *tip*
Poly-Hive.co.uk - British Beekeeping information for British Beekeepers
Numbers rise and fall with the levels of interest and the severity of the winters. We have sadly just had the worst winter for beekeeping in living memory. There are reports of colossal losses in Scotland, and I personally have lost 60%, and it has been notable that the colonies which failed were headed by 2012 mated queens, so the dismal summer is still having repercussions this year.
Bumbles (properly called Humble bees) are not normally managed by humans apart from those for green house pollination, and they too will have suffered though not to the same extent hopefully.
The poor matings last year have been exacerbated by a very long wet cold winter and the poor weather continues up until and including today so no real relief yet.
Pollination though is a multiple system event. Honey bees are of course important but so are bumbles, solitary bees and other insects and of course the wind. I would not despair quite yet. Plus bees have a remarkable knack of bouncing back. If not this year then next there will be lots again as others of my mind set set about breeding up new colonies from the survivors, and that is the crux really, there are survivors and they are invaluable as they are the winter proven bees, queens which have successfully come through this dreadful weather and are building up their colonies. Given some sunny days to achieve good matings and we will in reality actually benefit from this difficult spell with better quality stock, as Nature has done what is required every now and again and had a wee clear out of the rubbish. As has happened since time beyond time.
Poly Hive
Footnote... pollen patties with no pollen are not much use TBH. *tip*
Poly-Hive.co.uk - British Beekeeping information for British Beekeepers
I haven't seen any honey bees but definitely some yellow jacket varieties and bumble bees. Those are my favorite. 
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