Colony collapse disorder and pesticide exposure cause significant welfare harm in bee populations. The welfare of social insects raises complex ethical questions at individual and colony levels.
Bee welfare operates at multiple levels - individual bee welfare is uncertain but behavioral evidence suggests potential for suffering, while colony welfare is more clearly meaningful as a functional unit. Colony collapse through pesticide exposure and habitat loss represents welfare harm at both individual and collective levels. The scale of bee populations affected and the ecological and food security consequences make bee welfare a high-priority advocacy area.