Recent Research

EFSA tackles multiple stressors Bees are under attack from many directions: parasites, infectious agents, agro-chemicals and environmental changes are some of the stressors that are known to damage honey bee colonies. But how do these factors work in combination? Is it possible to devise a model that can take account of all these stressors and predict how they will affect a colony?

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA*) has launched a major project to address these questions, with the ultimate goal of establishing a framework for the risk assessment of multiple stressors in honey bee colonies. The long-term project involves bee specialists and experts in animal health, plant health, pesticides, data and modelling. EFSA is working closely with the European Commission, EU Member States, other agencies and research bodies.

Veterinarian Simon More from University College Dublin, Ireland, Chair of EFSA’s Multiple Stressors in Bees (MUST-B) Working Group, said: “This kind of integrated approach to assessing risks to bees is absolutely necessary if we are to understand how different stressors combine to kill or weaken colonies. We need two things to build our framework: reliable, harmonised monitoring data (for example on presence in hives of infectious agents, such as bacteria and viruses, or pesticide residues); and a computerised simulation model that can process the data and both explain and predict the effects”.

EFSA’s pesticide experts recommended use of the BEEHAVE model that simulates hive population dynamics by considering environmental factors such as weather conditions, availability of food (nectar and pollen), infectious agents for example Varroa mite and two associated viruses, and other factors that may affect colony development.

On the data side the Project will develop survey methods and tools that can be used to gather information on the health status of honey bee colonies.

Source: www.efsa.europa.eu/

*EFSA is the EU risk assessment body for food and feed safety and provides independent scientific advice to risk managers.