For around ten years now, beekeeping in Switzerland and in Europa has been at great risk and the keeping of bees has become an even greater challenge. This has led to many beekeepers going out of business. In order to ensure that sufficient bees are available throughout Switzerland for pollination in future, the Agroscope Centre for Bee Research project ‘Controlling Disease and Pests in the Honeybee for the Protection of Pollination Security in Switzerland' pursues the following key aims:
- Sustainable control of bee diseases and bee pests in order to maintain a functioning beekeeping industry, and for the production of residue-free bee products.
- Sustainable and practicable mite (= Varroa destructor) control, with a high uptake.
- Knowledge of the natural defence mechanisms of Asian and African bees against Varroa.
- Better knowledge of the mechanisms regulating the lifespan of the honeybee.
- Knowledge of the impact of recently established crops in Switzerland on bees (e.g. phacelia as a green manure).
- Scientific support in breeding matters for both practitioners and the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG).