University of Galway study warns native honey bee could be extinct within 80 years
The report highlights that Connemara, long regarded as a prime location for breeding pure native bees, is already experiencing significant disruption
The native Irish honey bee faces the threat of local extinction and permanent genetic damage due to cross-breeding with imported non-native bees, a major new report co-authored by researchers at the University of Galway has warned.
The study, commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, found that Ireland remains the largest continuous stronghold in Europe for the dark honey bee, but up to 23% of colonies now show signs of genetic mixing with imported strains.
Researchers warned that if imports of foreign queen bees reach 10% of the national stock, the native Irish honey bee could be driven to extinction across the country within 80 years.
The report highlights that Connemara, long regarded as a prime location for breeding pure native bees, is already experiencing significant disruption.
One experienced beekeeper in the area reported being unable to sell native colonies because cross-breeding with nearby non-native stocks meant genetic purity could no longer be guaranteed.
According to departmental figures included in the study, queen bee imports into the Republic of Ireland averaged around 150 per year between 2012 and 2019 before surging during the pandemic to a peak of 1,279 in 2021.
The researchers also flagged a post-Brexit trade loophole in Northern Ireland. Because Northern Ireland remains in the EU Single Market, an English company imported thousands of bee packages and queens through the North in 2021 to bypass checks before moving them to Great Britain, raising fears that foreign bees could easily cross the land border into the Republic.
A survey of 352 beekeepers conducted as part of the research in late 2024 – which drew its highest response rate from Galway at 8.9% – revealed a sharp divide between hobbyists and larger commercial operators.
While 85.6% of beekeepers reported keeping native bees primarily for pleasure and conservation, 58.3% of larger operators managing more than 100 colonies used exotic strains such as Buckfast, Carniolan, or Italian bees.
A single commercial operator importing foreign stock can compromise the genetics of wild and managed colonies within a 15km radius, the study said, with genetic contamination spreading up to 80km over 20 years.
It found no evidence to support claims that imported bees produce more honey or provide better pollination in Ireland’s cool, wet climate, to which native bees are better adapted.
Ongoing imports also risk introducing devastating exotic pests and diseases, such as the small hive beetle and the Tropilaelaps mite. The authors noted that the parasitic Varroa mite first entered Ireland in 1998 via an illegal bee import into Sligo.
While the report notes that enforcing an import ban would be challenging due to the ease of smuggling small queen cages and the open border with Northern Ireland, it concludes that protecting the native population would safeguard Irish biodiversity without harming domestic honey production or crop pollination.