Honey bees are exposed to numerous parasites and pathogens that negatively affect their health and reduce their chances of survival. This problem can be solved permanently through the selection of honey bees naturally resistant to these threats from among the native bee population, which is well-adapted to local conditions. For this, appropriate selection criteria must be developed and tested.
To preserve the attractiveness of beekeeping in Switzerland – an activity that guar-antees the pollination of both wild and cultivated plants – it is important to provide beekeepers with effective production tools. To ensure healthy honey-bee colonies and high-quality hive products, Agroscope is looking to develop and test solutions for maintaining the health of colonies threatened by diseases or agricultural practic-es.
The aim of Agroscope’s Centre for Bee Research (ZBF) is to maintain and improve the quality of bee products as well as to scientifically assess the bee-compatibility of PPP’s. The ZBF is also the Reference Laboratory for Bee Diseases.
