Understanding honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony losses:a multifactorial perspective /

Bees play an essential role as pollinators of crops and wild plants thereby contributing to biodiversity. Beekeeping is an important economic and agricultural activity. However, beekeepers are faced with numerous external factors, including climate change, intensive agricultural production, the extensive use of pesticides and the high incidence of honey bee diseases. In researches’ work to date, numerous potential factors have been identified that contribute to colony population decline, reduced colony health, and colony losses. This review summarizes the most important factors affecting honey bee colonies and their health. The main causes of colony loss include pests and pathogens, environmental and beekeeping stressors, apiculture practices and pesticide residues. Reducing honey bee colony losses requires an integrated approach that recognises the multifactorial nature of the problem. Coordinated strategies should consider both direct biological threats, such as parasites and pathogens, and indirect influences, such as environmental changes, pesticide exposure and forage quality.