New Zealand scientists begin to tackle mystery of bee colony loss

New Zealand government scientists have begun a project that they hope will explain an unexplained surge in the loss of bee colonies and lead to a solution.

The first national survey of beekeepers would provide a starting point to explore the potential causes behind colony losses, according to Landcare Research, the government institute conducting the survey.

While high colony losses had been reported around the world, New Zealand hive numbers had significantly increased in recent years, but there had also been a surge in unexplained colony losses, said a statement from Landcare Research Thursday.

Diseases, pests, pesticides, starvation and overstocking had been blamed, but the evidence was largely anecdotal.

The beekeeping industry was valued at 5.1 billion NZ dollars (3. 37 billion U.S. dollars) annually and was critical to the country' s agricultural and horticultural sectors.

The online survey would gather baseline information from beekeepers about colony loss and survival to track changes in the future.

"The data from the survey will allow policy makers, industry groups and beekeepers to make better decisions on how to preserve New Zealand's bee populations," New Zealand Bee Colony Loss and Survival survey director Pike Brown said in the statement.

The survey adhered to international standards to allow for worldwide comparison, but contained some questions that were specific to the New Zealand industry and conditions, he said.

National Beekeepers Association chief executive Daniel Paul said in the statement that the survey was a "starting point" to protect bees. Endi