The wild honeybee population of Europe is in decline: Evidence from monitoring studies
- 1Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy (KomBioTa), University of Hohenheim and Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart Germany
- 2Department of Livestock Population Genomics University of Hohenheim Stuttgart Germany
- 3Agroecology and Environment Agroscope Zurich Switzerland
Abstract
Populations of wild western honeybees ( Apis mellifera ) have been neglected because the species has been considered to consist of managed colonies only. New data suggest that wild colonies (still) make up at least one sixth of the overall European honeybee population. Their population trends can be evaluated like those of other species, albeit with some methodological adjustments to account for the bias introduced by swarms emigrating from apiaries. We used data on the annual survival rates of free‐living colonies from seven European countries and assumed a realistic swarming rate of two swarms per colony per year to estimate the intrinsic growth rates of wild populations. Observed variation in nest site reoccupation rates among years was taken as a measure of environmental stochasticity in population performance. We then simulated the autonomous wild population changes over 10‐year periods, the time frame considered for assessments by the IUCN. Wild honeybee populations still exist in five of the seven countries with data, but they currently act as demographic sinks in most regions. With an estimated median population decline of 56% per decade, the honeybee can be considered “Endangered in the wild” at the European level.
Related
- LDLR -3′UTR Deletions Identified as a Genetic Cause of Hypobetalipoproteinemia: Evidence From Familial and Population-Based Studies
- Global agriculture shows limited evidence of a pollinator-driven yield decline to date
- Autozygosity and genetic load as sensitive early warnings of butterfly population decline
- Climate vulnerability assessment framework choice influences species prioritization and prediction of population decline
- West European Hedgehog ( Erinaceus europaeus ) Decline in Great Britain: Evidence From Multiple National‐Scale Surveys
BibTeX
@article{kohl2026wild,
title = {{The wild honeybee population of Europe is in decline: Evidence from monitoring studies}},
author = {Patrick L. Kohl and Benjamin Rutschmann},
journal = {Conservation Science and Practice},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1111/csp2.70345},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70345},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The wild honeybee population of Europe is in decline: Evidence from monitoring studies
AU - Patrick L. Kohl
AU - Benjamin Rutschmann
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/14
JO - Conservation Science and Practice
DO - 10.1111/csp2.70345
UR - https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70345
AB - Populations of wild western honeybees ( Apis mellifera ) have been neglected because the species has been considered to consist of managed colonies only. New data suggest that wild colonies (still) make up at least one sixth of the overall European honeybee population. Their population trends can be evaluated like those of other species, albeit with some methodological adjustments to account for the bias introduced by swarms emigrating from apiaries. We used data on the annual survival rates of free‐living colonies from seven European countries and assumed a realistic swarming rate of two swarms per colony per year to estimate the intrinsic growth rates of wild populations. Observed variation in nest site reoccupation rates among years was taken as a measure of environmental stochasticity in population performance. We then simulated the autonomous wild population changes over 10‐year periods, the time frame considered for assessments by the IUCN. Wild honeybee populations still exist in five of the seven countries with data, but they currently act as demographic sinks in most regions. With an estimated median population decline of 56% per decade, the honeybee can be considered “Endangered in the wild” at the European level.
SN - 2578-4854
ER -