It’s the time of year that honeybee swarms typically start to take wing, setting beekeepers’ phone lines ablaze as word spreads about their availability to collect and place in awaiting hives.
But anxiety is running high in the local beekeeping community as April draws to a close, with word-of-mouth reporting of a high number of lost colonies over the winter. Firm explanations are proving elusive.
Hygiene-area beekeeper Tony Lewis lost eight out of his 10 colonies over the winter — and can’t figure out why.
Beth Conrey, a Berthoud resident and past president of the Colorado State Beekeepers Association, as well as current vice president of Boulder County Beekeepers Association, said in an email, “I have heard rumors of large losses but can neither confirm nor deny them as I have no locally collected data from which to draw.
“Personally,” Conrey added, “I sustained 20 percent losses. This is much better than previous years but still unsustainable. Imagine if it were cattle or corn … I had a neighbor who lost all eight of his hives. His daughter lost all three of hers. I am certain there are folks around the state with similar tales to tell.”
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