Objectives

We will demonstrate the differences in performance, health and survival of honey bee colonies while they are placed in organic or natural areas vs conventional agriculture or areas in order to minimize colony losses. We will also optimize the growth kinetics of the isolated bacterial colonies and study and detection of the lethal/inhibitory dose of the secondary metabolites against targeted fungal diseases (Ascosphera apis, Aspergillus spp., and Nosema spp.)

Description of work

Task III.1. Mitigation measures for honey bee health.  Evaluation of bee losses according to environment/ comparison between polluted and unpolluted areas/  Use of different practices against the Varroa parasitic mite, and assessment of different scenarios for the adoption of a sustainable beekeeping strategy

Task III.2. Use of microbiota against bacterial and fungus. Bacterial morphological and bacteriological tests/ Characterization of released metabolites/  Development of a blend formula containing the active metabolites/ Application of the formula within beehives