The BEE-GUARDS Podcast

(24) The BEE-GUARDS Approach to Accelerated Varroa Resistance. Martin Gabel

Today’s guest speaker is Martin Gabel, researcher at the Bee Institute Kirchhain in Germany, part of Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen, and an important contributor to Work Package 1 — Management for Resilience, and Work Package 2 — Breeding for Resilience. In this episode, we focus on how BEE-GUARDS is developing innovative approaches to strengthen honey bee resilience against Varroa, climate stress, and changing environmental conditions. Work Package 1 explores an innovative low-input beekeeping management approach across a pan-European apiary network spanning eleven countries. Researchers and beekeepers are testing threshold-based management strategies designed to support natural resilience in honey bee colonies. Instead of relying heavily on routine chemical treatments and supplementary feeding, the project evaluates how colonies perform under more selective environmental conditions, while carefully monitoring colony health, survival, productivity, and adaptation across different climates and landscapes in Europe. Work Package 2 builds directly on these field experiences by focusing on accelerated breeding for resilience traits. The goal is to improve adaptation to Varroa pressure and climate stress through innovative mating and selection strategies. Across different climatic regions, mating stations are being established where colonies develop under varying levels of selection pressure. By allowing natural selection to play a larger role in breeding, BEE-GUARDS aims to strengthen traits linked to survival, Varroa resistance, virus tolerance, and overall colony resilience. Advanced genomic tools, breeding value estimation, and cryobanking of honey bee germplasm are all part of this effort to safeguard Europe’s honey bee diversity for the future. We will also briefly touch on Work Package 8, which investigates the relationship between managed honey bees and wild pollinators, helping develop sustainable beekeeping practices that protect biodiversity and ecosystem balance.

(23) Fieldwork with Sergio and BEE-GUARDS

Welcome to the BEE-GUARDS podcast — a Horizon Europe project working to strengthen resilient beekeeping, protect pollinator biodiversity, and support sustainable beekeeping practices across Europe. All relevant links here: https://beeguards.eu/citizen-science/ [https://beeguards.eu/citizen-science/]  In today’s episode, we are talking with Sergio from CREA in Bologna, who is actively involved in the field work connected to Work Packages 1, 2, and 8 of the BEE-GUARDS project. WP1 focuses on innovative beekeeping management across a large pan-European apiary network. Researchers and beekeepers are testing low-input and threshold-based management strategies, comparing them with more conventional approaches, while studying colony survival, resilience, climate effects, and Varroa management under real field conditions. WP2 is dedicated to breeding strategies for resilient bees. The work investigates how natural selection, Varroa resistance, climate adaptation, and advanced breeding methods can help develop stronger and more resilient honey bee populations for the future. WP8 focuses on field site activities and practical implementation, helping connect research, environmental assessment, and real-world beekeeping conditions across the different European study locations. Together, these activities combine science, field observations, breeding, and collaboration with beekeepers to better understand how we can safeguard honey bees and pollination services in a changing environment. Your host today is Flemming Vejsnæs from the Danish Beekeepers Association. Let’s get started.

(22) The challenges of commercial beekeeping

In this episode, we speak with Wolfgang Pointecker, president of the Austrian Commercial Beekeepers Association and a commercial beekeeper himself. Drawing on his own day-to-day experience in professional beekeeping, Wolfgang shares insights from both the apiary and the organizational level. We discuss the key challenges facing commercial beekeeping in Austria and across Europe, including bee health, forage availability, market pressures, regulation, and climate impacts. The conversation focuses on how these issues affect professional beekeepers in practice, and what changes may be needed to secure the future of commercial beekeeping. This episode is relevant for beekeepers, farmers, policymakers, and anyone interested in sustainable food systems and pollination.

(21) The Mystery of Cryopreservation

In this episode, we explore how scientists are working to protect the future of honey bees through cryopreservation. As part of the BEE-GUARDS project, researchers are building a European network of cryobanks and developing groundbreaking methods to preserve honey bee embryos for the first time. Our guest today is Jesús Yániz, Professor at the Universidad de Zaragoza, who is leading the cryopreservation work within WP2 – Breeding for Resilience. Together, we explore how preserving genetic diversity can strengthen honey bee populations and help secure pollination services for generations to come.

(20) Towards varroaresistence with Ralph Büchler

Today our guest is Ralph Büchler, well known for his long-standing work in varroa-resistant bee breeding. For many years, he was the head of the Beekeeping Institute in Kirchhain, Germany—an institute strongly focused on applied science within beekeeping. Although Ralph is now retired, he has not stepped away from his passion: continuing the search for varroa-resistant bees. Another key area of his work and interest has been the use of brood breaks during the season, using queen caging as a management tool. While on a trip to Denmark – yes, inspire the Danish beekeepers to work on varroa resistance, I was lucky to make this podcast just before take-off at Copenhagen Airport, where we recorded a great conversation about breeding, resistance, and his role as a member of the BEE-GUARDS advisory board.