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March 5, 2026Agriculture2 citationsOpen Access

Natural Products—Part of a Strategy to Mitigate the Impact of Climate Change on Honey Bees

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KKKoycho KoevMGMariya GanevaPOPetya Orozova

Key Points

  • This study aims to assess the effects of climate change on honey bee survival and evaluate feeding strategies used by beekeepers.
  • Analyzed climate conditions in Bulgaria from 2021 to 2024.
  • Conducted a national survey among 70 beekeepers in 20 regions.
  • Evaluated colony losses during the 2023/2024 winter season.
  • Applied descriptive statistics to analyze winter mortality and feeding practices.
  • Average winter mortality reported at 2.22%, with significant regional differences.
  • Varroosis identified as the primary cause of colony losses.
  • Widespread use of plant-derived supplementary feeds noted, especially in spring and late summer.
  • Total reported colony losses in 2024 were 16.3%, with severe collapses accounting for 11.6%.

Abstract

Climate change exerts an increasing impact on the health and resilience of honey bees through a combination of rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and intensified parasitic and infectious pressure. The present study aims to analyze climatic conditions in Bulgaria for the period 2021–2024 and to evaluate the results of a national survey conducted among beekeepers, focusing on winter colony losses during the 2023/2024 season and the feeding strategies applied. The survey was carried out in 2024 among 70 beekeepers from 20 administrative regions of the country, managing a total of 8935 bee colonies. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stratified by region. The reported average winter mortality was 2.22% (198 colonies), with pronounced territorial variability. The most frequently indicated self-reported probable cause of losses was bee diseases, with varroosis identified as the dominant factor. Analysis of management practices revealed widespread application of combined feeding schemes based on plant-derived supplementary feeds, primarily administered in spring (March–April) and late summer (August–September). The obtained results differ from published national data for 2024, according to which total colony losses reached 16.3%, while losses associated with mortality or severe demographic collapse accounted for 11.6%. Despite the limitations inherent to the survey-based approach and self-reported data, the results suggest that integrated management combining parasite control with targeted nutritional support through the use of Bulgarian herbal supplementary feeds may coincide with the winter survival patterns reported within the surveyed sample.

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Cite This Study

Koev et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a91dedd6127c7a504c14c4https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16050569
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