Pacific North West annual loss survey is the regions historic bee loss survey mixed with the technology from generation X, a grass roots attempt to make a difference with our combined experience and knowledge in backyard beekeeping. In the fall of 2013 the Portland Urban Beekeepers decided to expand on Dr Caron’s annual survey to cover not just its participants wintering loss numbers but the origination of their bees, their hive type, mite monitoring practices, the keepers years of experience, survival strategies and opinions on colony death over last winter. The addition of collecting the apiaries locations brought the ability to map the density of Portland’s bees to look for patterns in their successes and failures. In 2015 the survey was extended to any backyard beekeeper within Washington and Oregon with 50 colonies or less allowing us to collect data on over 1,000 hives annually! Now in 2018 we have added “a door” in our survey for those with more than 50 hives to participate but have their data analyzed with others at their level. With this ever growing citizen science data pool we hope to obtain a better understanding of the differences between national, regional, and local winter loss numbers of the western honey bee (Apis Mellifera). Each year we will share what has statistically worked best in each region participating. Thank you for visiting!
Our annual survey will be accepting responses each April at www.pnwhoneybeesurvey.com/survey
Each spring an updated paper survey will be made available which can be either emailed or US post mailed in to address provided. As of 2017-18 collection year there are separate paper copies depending on the amount of hives you typically care for. Although state beekeeper associations tend to consider beekeepers as Small scale (less than 25 hives) Sideliner (25–300 hives) Commercial (more than 300 hives), PNW has chosen to separate our data analysis at 50 hives. We hope this doesn’t cause too much confusion.
If you have missed it this year and would like to get on the reminder list for next year please email us info@pnwhoneybeesurvey.com and simply place “REMINDER” in the subject line.
Each year the results are shared with participating beekeepers through beekeeping club presentations, newsletters, websites and journal articles as available. All prior years survey results are available at www.pnwhoneybeesurvey.com/survey-results.
The last entry of the survey ask for your comments and questions about the survey itself or general beekeeping in the Pacific North West. These are quickly responded to and anonymously blogged for increased knowledge within the beekeeping community. What one beekeeper asks, another may be wondering. As such the blog page is where those questions will be posted with answers from one of the survey crew, likely Dr. Dewey Caron himself.
One of these comments requested a NOTE SHEET to take notes on to aid in survey preparation. As requested here is Note Worthy Preparation
The team behind PNW Honey Bee Loss Survey wish to gratefully acknowledge Portland Urban Beekeepers for sponsoring this site and continuing to be a driving force behind the outreach and educational goals for the beekeeping community at large.