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<p>While the Department does not hold comprehensive historic data on the population
level of honey bees, the National Bee Unit does hold some county data, including for
Staffordshire as a whole, on its BeeBase website. This data relates to honey bees
managed by beekeepers and indicates a rise in the honey bee population in Staffordshire,
from around 2,300 colonies in 2012 to around 3,200 colonies in 2022.</p><p> </p><p>It
is important to note that the overall number of beekeepers registering on BeeBase
has risen dramatically over the last 10 years, and this may account for the apparent
rise in the honey bee population suggested by the colony numbers.</p><p> </p><p>We
do not hold information specific to the population level of wild bees in North Staffordshire
over the last 10 years. More generally, Defra’s indicator recording the distribution
of pollinating insects in England between 1980 and 2017 shows long term decline for
the majority of the 377 species of hoverflies and bees. In the short term, however,
around 40% of these species have become less well distributed, and around 40% have
become more well distributed. In the short term, more recorded bee species are becoming
more widespread in England than are becoming less widespread. We cannot provide information
on which species are declining and which are increasing. We are keeping these trends
under review.</p>
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