Project description
A laser-based solution for the protection of bees
Bees are the world’s most important pollinators of food crops. They ensure pollination for over 80 % of crops and wild plants in Europe, and they contribute at least EUR 22 billion each year to the European agriculture industry. Yet, in the past decades, there has been marked a dramatic decrease in the bee population. Besides the pesticides, one of the most important causes for the decrease of bee populations is varroa, an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on honeybees. The EU-funded V-eliminator project will develop an innovative laser-based system for the mass elimination of varroa in a much safer and more efficient way than methods implemented so far.
Objective
Bees are critically important for the environment and to the economy. They ensure pollination for over 80% of crops and wild plants in Europe. It is estimated that pollinators, including honey bees, bumblebees and wild bees, contribute at least 22 billion EUR (265 billion annually worldwide), each year to the European agriculture industry.
Yet in the past decades the number of bees in Europe has decreased by almost 25 %. Further decrease in bee population can therefore endanger the pollination. Besides the pesticides, one of the most important causes for decrease of bees is varroa.
The main goal of the project is to develop a first laser based system for the mass elimination of varroa on honey bees. The laser used for removing varroa will offer much safer and more efficient solution to the varroa problem compared to existing solution.
To reach TRL6 phase around 80 thousand EUR and 11 man/month (4 persons part time) of work has been invested. To accomplish the goal (TRL9), cca 900 thousand EUR and two years of work is needed, 8,5 persons full time.
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencecomputer vision
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyentomologyapidology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
1000 LJUBLJANA
Slovenia
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.