Somerset Winter Losses Survey 2025/6 – Summary of Findings

Thank you to everyone who took part in this year’s winter losses survey. We received 320 responses, around a quarter of SBKA’s membership, giving us a valuable snapshot of how colonies fared across Somerset.
Overall losses
Members reported an average 31% winter loss rate. As Geoff Blay, Master Beekeeper, and reviewer notes, “respondents suffered a loss ratio of 31%… [but] this relates to respondents and will not necessarily be representative of the whole membership.” Even so, the figure highlights the challenges many beekeepers faced over the 2025/6 winter.
Varroa treatment made the biggest difference
The clearest finding from the analysis is the impact of varroa management on colony survival:

• Beekeepers using Apivar or Apivar plus oxalic acid had very low losses (8%).
• Those not treating or using non approved methods had much higher losses (57%).

The reviewer concludes that “varroa treatments seem to be a major factor on survival rates” and that many beekeepers may not fully recognise the threat varroa poses.
Weather often blamed, but not usually the main cause
More than half of respondents mentioned weather as a factor, but only 12.3% cited varroa. The report suggests that weather is rarely the primary cause unless colonies are already weakened, noting “I don’t think that weather is normally the main cause for loss.”
Other factors harder to assess
The survey included questions on queen replacement, genetics, hive type, insulation and feeding. However, some questions did not provide enough detail to draw firm conclusions - for example, queen ages and starvation indicators could not be reliably identified.
Improving future surveys
Geoff recommends several improvements to help SBKA gain clearer insights in future years:

• Asking members to identify specific causes of loss (e.g., starvation, queen failure, wasp or woodpecker damage).
• Sharpening questions on feeding, queen replacement and genetics.
• Making it easier to analyse data directly from SurveyMonkey.
• Increasing the number of responses and repeating the survey annually to track trends.

Key messages for members

• Effective varroa treatment is the single most important factor in winter survival.
• Survey design improvements will help SBKA support members more effectively.