Despite the best efforts of the companies and the UK government, the European Commission’s proposals prevailed, and some neonicotinoid chemicals were temporarily taken out of use. It will be fascinating to see what happens to bee populations, although with a suspension of just two years it might be difficult to detect effects.
On top of habitat loss and the effects of chemicals are overlaid the consequences of climate change. This could, for example, lead to wetter conditions over extended periods (as was the case in the summer of 2012), in turn hampering the ability of honeybees to forage and causing dampness in hives, thereby increasing the risk of fungal infections. Wild species will be affected too, with some bumblebee decline in the UK already attributed to climatic shifts.