Author: Admin

Beautiful and meaningful post from Magda Wilde, from Poland, one of our partners.

🐝 An apiary is not just honey – it’s first and foremost bees! 🐝

In the world of beekeeping, the protection and development of bees is a key challenge. That’s why the international @BeeGuards project, coordinated in Poland by @pasiekawilde and @inhort is a huge opportunity for our bees!

🌍 BeeGuards – a global initiative for bees

The BeeGuards project brings together experts, beekeepers and scientists from different countries to work together on innovative ways to protect bees. Through research on varroa, one of the greatest threats to bees, it is possible to develop effective strategies to combat this parasite.

Varroa research – key to the future of beekeeping

Varroa is a serious challenge for beekeepers around the world. Thanks to a partnership with @pasiekawilde, the BeeGuards project is becoming a testing ground for modern bee protection methods.

🤝 Invaluable support for bees

Thanks to BeeGuards, we can not only protect bees, but also educate and support beekeepers by providing them with the latest solutions and knowledge. This is a step towards healthier and stronger bee colonies, which are the foundation of ecology and agriculture.

📢 Together for the bees!

@pasiekawilde and @BeeGuards are proof that collaboration of beekeeping science and practice can bring real benefits to the environment we already know that and we thank you

🐝🌼❤@siedliskopasieka

#BeeGuards #PasiekaWilde #siedliskopasieka #BeeGuards #BeeProtection #Warrow #BeeKeeping #ScienceForBees 🐝

3 hours of knowledge! Now online. 

Originally held: 22 April 2025

Watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/K-yRRHLROdc

Did you miss our expert webinar on Tropilaelaps mites? The full recording is now live! Learn from leading scientists and experienced beekeepers about:

The biology and expanding distribution of Tropilaelaps mites in Europe
Latest detection and surveillance methods
Effective control strategies, including acaricide trials and cultural management
Preparedness and critical gaps for European beekeepers and beyond.

This event, jointly hosted by Apimondia Federation and BeeGuards, and with technical support by #auburnuniversity brought together top experts to discuss how to identify, monitor, and manage this emerging threat to honey bee colonies.
Whether you’re a beekeeper, researcher, or just passionate about bee health, this is essential viewing!

Follow the BeeGuards Tropilaelaps homepage. https://tropilaelaps.info/

We are happy to announce that BeeGuards newest publication is in the air in the Bee World magazine. The hot topic now is the Tropilalaps mites slowly approaching europe. Find the article here https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772X.2025.2483730 and do your research on the exciting homepage: https://tropilaelaps.info/, where you find all you need to know.

Listen to our podcast where we talk about our project, we go deeper, but we also talk about and with our partners. Meet our project and our partners. Enjoy the podcast while driving or doing something else.  

In 2024, Tropilaelaps was confirmed for the first time in Europe, infesting honey bee colonies in southwest Russia and Georgia. These reports mark a continued movement towards the west from origins in Asia. Migratory beekeeping and bee stocks sales are likely pathways for the rapid movement of this dangerous mite. Test your bees for Tropilaelaps.

Monitor your colonies for Tropilaelaps mites. Tropilaelaps mites are statutory notifiable pests in many different countries, and so you must inform your local authorities immediately if you have any suspicions that the mite is present. Mite samples and photographs can be useful evidence to share with the authorities. Beekeepers can reduce mite spread by considering importing or migrating bee stocks from regions with a low risk of mite presence.

How to detect the Tropilaelaps mite easy:

Have a closer look at this nice video. Please share with your colleagues all over europe.

Download our leaflet with the latest update on Tropilaelaps: https://beeguards.eu/?sdm_process_download=1&download_id=994

Pim Brascamp, Aleksandar Uzunov, Piter Bijma and Manuel Du composed “The Genetics of Selection in Honeybees”, a new cost-free eBook published by Wageningen University. The book aims to help breeders and bee experts understand subtle elements of honey bee selection, which previously needed to be addressed. The current version is 44 pages of condensed material in four chapters: Breeding Goal, Quantitative Genetics, Breeding Value Estimation, and Selection. It is available in chapter or whole pdf book mode.

Download here. Or have a look for more downloads on our downloadpage.

Authors consider this material as work in progress and appreciate and welcome comments and suggestions for improvement.

The BeeGuards members: Aleksandar Uzunov, Cecilia Costa and Giovanni Cilia are an important part of the author team on this breaking new article. You need to read.

First to confirm findings of the harmful Tropilaelaps mercedesae mite in Western Georgia (Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region). Infested honey bee colonies (of the Caucasian honey bee, Apis mellifera caucasica) across three beekeeping sites showed high levels of infestation. Tropilaelaps are spreading and create increasing concern for beekeepers. In these colonies, T. mercedesae was found alongside another harmful mite, Varroa destructor, both showing high reproductive success. This discovery raises alarms for beekeeping in Georgia and Europe, and immediate steps are needed to monitor and control its spread to protect bees and agriculture.

Download on: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385048575_First_Report_on_Tropilaelaps_mercedesae_Presence_in_Georgia_The_Mite_is_Heading_Westward

In this video (https://tropilaelaps.info/media/video-gallery/) you can follow the instructions on how to apply the new method under field or lab conditions. The video is based on the experience and results available in the preprint article:

Uzunov, Janashia, Chen, Costa, Kovacic A scientific note on “Rapid brood decapping” – a method for assessment of honey bee (Apis mellifera) brood infestation with Tropilaelaps mercedesae.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.09.616962v1.article-metrics

Still from the EURBEE10 conference in Tallin. Download the poster

BeeGuards poster on Migratory habits of Slovenian beekeepers

EURBEE-10. BeeGuards poster on: Migratory habits of Slovenian beekeepers and their economic
efficiency

Download Now!188 Downloads

Strong contribution from WP2 Breeding experts at the International Apicultural Asia Regional Symposium in Beijing. Chao Chen and Alex Uzunov organized a satellite breeding conference with contributions from Australia, North America, Asia and Europe. Cecilia Costa, Jesus Yaniz and Marin Kovacic presented different aspects and perspectives on honey bee breeding, alongside other experts from Australia, Canada, China, Germany.

The 2024 International Apicultural Asia Regional Symposium is set to convene at the Miyun Youth Palace and Rui Haimu Resort in Beijing, China from 2rd- 4th September, 2024, drawing honey enthusiasts, beekeepers, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders from across Asia and beyond. This symposium is envisioned as a pivotal event poised to elevate the apicultural industry to new heights, fostering a sustainable and dynamic economy centered around beekeeping activities.