Saxon beekeepers are complaining about considerable losses among their bees at the start of spring. "Many colonies have come out of the winter relatively weak," said Michael Hardt, Chairman of the Saxon Beekeepers' Association, to the German Press Agency. And a number of colonies had died completely. He estimated the losses at 30 to 50 percent, with some beekeepers even losing all their colonies.
Hardt believes the main reason is the Varroa mite. Local beekeepers have been struggling with this pest for decades. Last year's early start to bee breeding also provided the mites with good conditions to multiply. The high mite load weakened the colonies. In the mountains in particular, there were also problems with so-called melicite honey, also known as cement honey. It becomes very hard in the combs and the bees can hardly dissolve it as food in winter.
