Extension Department

Basic beekeeping technologies have been shown to reduce pathogen load without the application of chemicals. They were however usually inefficient as a sole therapy, and were primarily employed to assist medication but could not cure colonies from pest and pathogens. Typically the beekeeper only intervenes after a disease has been clinically diagnosed, often too late to save the colony. In this work package the BEE SHOP will develop preventive management steps to reduce the risk of infections before they occur.

Some basic methods of apiary hygiene are well known but still not routine in many countries. There are two approaches: measures to increase the individual robustness of colonies, and the prevention of pathogen distribution between colonies and apiaries.

The Extension Department will evaluate the significance of such hygienic concepts for their feasibility in practical and commercial beekeeping and trace the spread of infections in collaboration with the Pathology Department. For this purpose it is essential to collaborate with the listed partner beekeeping operations which will provide their apiaries for the evaluations of practical feasibility. Questionnaires addressing the outbreak of diseases as well as the base parameters of the honeybee management will be sent out and evaluated to detect possible links between management and incidence of diseases.