The dreaded varroosis has long been one of the leading causes of bee colony deaths, destroying entire apiaries in some areas. This threatens honey production and the many years of work beekeepers have put into beekeeping. A new four-year project supported by the National Agency for Agricultural Research (NAZV) of the Ministry of Agriculture aims to change this situation. As part of the project, scientists will present new practical solutions for diagnosing and controlling varroosis. The results, which will help monitor, prevent, and treat this disease, will be used by beekeepers themselves and by the state administration.
"Our project is currently in its initial phase. It was created in response to a call from the Ministry of Agriculture, which requested a professional proposal on how to modernise and replace the outdated system for investigating varroa mites in bee colonies. Our team has proposed an innovative solution that combines biological research, modern technology, science communication, and direct cooperation with beekeepers," said lead researcher Jiří Danihlík from the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Science.
Incorporation of modern technologies
The current mandatory monitoring of varroosis in bee colonies is conducted in winter, which is not the most suitable period for the intensity of Varroa destructor mite reproduction. The new concept proposed by Olomouc scientists envisages more flexible monitoring throughout the year. Beekeepers will also be able to use smartphones for this purpose. A specially developed application will help beekeepers with diagnostics directly in the field. Experts will thus obtain more accurate data on the actual extent of infestation and new research findings on the development of the disease in years with different weather conditions. Satellite data will also be used to monitor developments, and the Department of Geoinformatics at the Faculty of Science will be involved in processing this data. Over the next four years, scientists will test how their proposed approach works in practice.
The research part of the project builds on the UP Faculty of Science's involvement in the international COLOSS monitoring programme. Since 2014, the local team has been systematically collecting data on bee colony deaths, treatment methods, foraging conditions and other symptoms observed in bee colonies. This has resulted in an extensive database, which scientists will now subject to detailed statistical analysis. "Colleagues from the Department of Mathematical Analysis and Applications of Mathematics will participate in this. The aim is to more accurately identify the factors that affect the health of bees and, at the same time, to determine suitable strategies for beekeeping," said Jiří Danihlík.
The project will connect research with practice
The project does not only involve laboratory research. It also includes workshops, conferences, educational videos, and practical guides that offer beekeepers clear, applicable procedures for protecting their colonies.
"Cooperation with practitioners will be key. Beekeepers will provide us with samples and field data and, in turn, gain access to the latest scientific findings. Our ambition is to create a modern, data-driven varroa monitoring system that will replace the model that has been in use for decades and will better reflect the reality of the current landscape and changing conditions," added Jiří Danihlík.
The project, entitled Innovative Solutions for the Diagnosis and Control of Varroosis as an Alternative to EpM300 in the Period of Onset Climate Change, will involve collaboration between the Faculty of Science of Palacký University under the leadership of Jiří Danihlík, the Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Brno, headed by Roman Hobza, and the Czech Agrifood Research Center (CARC), represented by Tomáš Erban.