Resilient beekeeping and breeding to safeguard natural genetic resources and pollination services

Project Information

BeeGuards

Grant agreement ID: 101082073

DOI

10.3030/101082073

EC signature date 26 April 2023

Start date 1 October 2023

End date 30 September 2027

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 5 495 685,00

EU contribution

€ 5 495 682,50

Coordinated by

CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BeeGuards (Resilient beekeeping and breeding to safeguard natural genetic resources and pollination services)

Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2025-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Honey bees are vital for pollination and ecological health, but their populations have been facing serious threats from agricultural practices, climate change, and invasive parasites like Varroa destructor. Climate change exacerbates these issues by extending brood rearing cycles, promoting disease, and enabling invasive species, while extreme weather hampers foraging and degrades habitats. Additionally, concerns are rising over the impact of apiculture on wild pollinators through competition and pathogen transfer.
The BeeGuards project aims to make the European beekeeping sector more resilient to current and emerging challenges.
To achieve its overarching objective on improving beekeeping resilience, BeeGuards aim to:
· enhance colony resilience: develop and test innovative, threshold-based management strategies that reduce reliance on chemical treatments;
· advance breeding for resistance: establish breeding methods and genetic tools to promote locally adapted honey bee populations with increased resistance to Varroa;
· leverage digital monitoring and models: deploy a pan-European digital apiary network with real-time sensors and predictive models to support informed decision-making;
· understand environmental and biological interactions: study how landscape, climate change, microbiome, immunity and genotype influence colony health and resilience, integrating multi-omics and holobiont approaches;
· address climate and pathogen dynamics: model how climate influences parasite/pathogen emergence, species interactions and disease spread, to improve threat prediction and mitigation;
· protect and conserve genetic resources: create germplasm repositories for European honey bees;
· mitigate environmental impact and promote sustainable practices: assess the environmental footprint of beekeeping practices and identify sustainable management solutions;
· assess wild pollinator interactions: evaluate the impact of beekeeping on wild pollinators, and establishing a methodology to assess presence of competition;
· foster science-society engagement: promote knowledge exchange, stakeholder participation, and raise awareness about pollinator health, biodiversity, and sustainable apiculture.
In terms of expected impact, the project aims to shift beekeeping towards more resilient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly practices grounded in scientific evidence.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

A Europe-wide network is established to compare conventional and innovative management strategies. The innovative approach, including brood interruption via queen caging and threshold-based Varroa treatments, has shown comparable colony performance to traditional methods, with slightly lower and more stable mite levels.
Resilience breeding activities were set up across six apiaries in four countries, involving 126 colonies and establishment of dedicated mating stations. Data collection has begun, providing early insights into genetic and resistance traits, with ongoing development of a genomic database and cryo-banking infrastructure to support resilient breeding programs.
The BeeGuards digital apiary platform connects IoT sensors, data management systems, and cloud infrastructure for real-time monitoring. The platform centralizes large datasets and supports big data workflows. Open access APIs and analysis notebooks are available for research and stakeholder engagement.
Standardized methods for collecting and sequencing honey bee and microbiome samples have been developed and validated. The resulting microbiome and genome reference catalog (iBeeMC) will facilitate identification of microbiome traits associated with resilience. Research on how landscape and management influence honey bee immunity and physiology is ongoing, assessing immune gene expression and pathogen load via pollen analysis. Laboratory experiments with pesticides are highlighting the impacts of environmental stressors on bee health.
Modeling efforts include developing high-resolution simulations of Varroa reproduction influenced by climate variability, with data from UK, Germany, and others used to predict disease risks under climate change scenarios. The project promptly responded to the Tropilaelaps threat by evaluating and improving detection methods and raising awareness through informative materials shared globally.
A lifecycle assessment framework is underway to evaluate the environmental footprint of current and innovative beekeeping practices. Preliminary analyses of management systems in Poland, Croatia, and Israel indicate notable differences in carbon footprint.
Finally, BeeGuards is studying the impact of beekeeping on wild pollinator diversity. A systematic literature review is complemented by a field study in Italy, assessing wild pollinator responses to high honey bee densities.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

By integrating advanced genomics, digital monitoring, modeling, and participatory citizen science, the BeeGuards results are contributing to:
· promote environmentally-friendly beekeeping practices: implementation of the innovative management techniques supports biodiversity and ecosystem services while encouraging localized, sustainable beekeeping;
· preserve genetic diversity: establishment of controlled mating stations and cryopreservation protocols enhance genetic resource conservation via utilization and facilitate resilient breeding;
· advance scientific understanding: the ongoing studies on honey bee stressors, health, and resilience across diverse climates and subspecies, are providing evidence-based insights into disease monitoring and resistance, microbiome health, and climate adaptation;
· support ecosystem and pollinator health: research on the impact of beekeeping on wild pollinators aims to optimize colony deployment and reduce negative environmental impacts;
· raise awareness and policy influence: data and findings are informing policymakers, stakeholders, and the scientific community about the interactions between bee health, biodiversity, and environmental factors, supporting informed decision-making;
· provide accessible data and tools: open-access databases, models, and guidelines enable ongoing research, monitoring, and policy formulation for resilient apiculture and biodiversity conservation.
Overall, BeeGuards fosters a holistic approach that integrates scientific research, practical management, and conservation efforts to enhance honey bee health, safeguard genetic resources, and promote sustainable ecosystems across Europe.