The movement of honey bee colonies for crop pollination and honey production by beekeepers in Great Britain

At least 70 crops grown in the UK are dependent on, or benefit from, insect pollination for fruit and seed production(9). Honey bees are the most important pollinators of these crops, although commercially reared bumble bee colonies are extensively used to pollinate some glasshouse crops, particularly tomatoes(7,8). Information about interactions between beekeepers and growers, and honey bee colony movements is needed if appropriate agricultural and environmental policies, and co-ordinated research programmes are to be developed, but few reliable statistics are available. This survey of commercial and amateur beekeeping practice updates information received from a similar survey of beekeepers a decade ago(12).