Honeybees are kept for honey and pollination services in managed hives worldwide, raising questions about the welfare of these colonial insects and the sustainability of modern beekeeping practices.
Honeybee welfare presents unique challenges because the morally relevant unit may be the colony rather than individual workers. Colony welfare depends on queen health, varroa control, adequate food stores, and suitable hive conditions. Commercial pollination practices that move colonies thousands of miles and expose them to pesticide-laden monocultures significantly compromise colony health. Small-scale natural beekeeping with minimal intervention provides better colony welfare than commercial management.