Beekeeper’s perception of risks affecting colony mortality: a pilot survey

Understanding hobby beekeepers’ perception of risks affecting bee health and mortality is essential to analyse the reasons for adopting or rejecting good management practices. A perception survey on how beekeepers perceive and manage risks related to climate change, Varroa infestation, management practices, and pesticide exposure was designed and launched online. This unpreceded sociological survey involved 355 beekeepers spread all over Belgium. A two-sample t-test with unequal variances comparing beekeepers with colony mortality rates below or exceeding the acceptable level, i.e. <10% and ≥10%, indicates that beekeepers (N=213), with colony mortality rates <10% generally have greater levels of perceived risk and the benefits of action that lead to increased motivation to act in better ways. The results of this survey highlight the importance of taking socio-economic determinants into account in any risk mitigation strategy associated with bee mortality when dealing with hobby beekeepers.