More bees counted than last year despite cold and inconsistent weather

More bees were counted during a national volunteer driven tally this year despite the weather being cold and inconsistent during the ten days that the bees were counted. Around 18 bees were spotted per count, three more than last year. It is lower than the years before 2023 when an average of around 20 bees were spotted per count.

The 2,300 people who participated in the count saw 40,000 bees, bumblebees, and hoverflies. Most of the types spotted are better suited to cold weather, such as the honey bee, earth bumblebee, and mason bee.

“Honey bees have ‘central heating’ in the beehive. They keep warm together by eating honey and being active,” bee expert Koos Biesmeijer of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center explained.

Bumblebees keep themselves warm by shaking their wings, and their fuzziness helps stave off the cold. Many other types of bees only become active with a temperature of at least 15 degrees Celsius.

Despite the protection against cold weather, honey bees were spotted less often than in previous years. Around 16.5 percent of the pollinators counted were honey bees, while it was usually around 25 or 35 percent of the bees counted in previous years. Further research should show whether this had to do with winter mortality.

The Netherlands has over 360 types of bees, half of which are endangered. Almost 35 bee types have disappeared.