is an EU funded project under the Horizon Europe framework (HORIZON-CL6-2022-BIODIV-02) with a consortium made up of 27 partners (from 16 countries) and coordinated by from the Italian Agricultural Research Council (CREA).
The Biodiversity and Ecology Research group (BERG), led by Prof. David Mifsud of the Institute of Earth Systems is the coordinator partner for Malta.
Besides general project management, the research group will be modelling the impact of abiotic and biotic drivers on colony performance and survival. Additionally, they will participate in the development of optimal colony deployment models at the regional level, considering factors like nutritional requirements and landscape capacity, contributing to more sustainable beekeeping practices and honey bee health.
The 4-year project started in October 2023 and aims to provide sustainable management practices, novel breeding strategies, and digital and forecasting tools that will allow the beekeeping sector to adapt to a changing environment.
In the field, BeeGuards will perform studies in 11 countries in Europe and beyond, applying innovative threshold-based management practices, using hives equipped with digital sensors. This will support the work of beekeepers by providing guidelines for the adaptation of beekeeping practices to present and future challenges.
BeeGuards will perform complementary immunological, behavioural, pathological, genomic and ecological studies that will serve to elucidate how management, climate and environment act on honey bees and other pollinators.
Beekeepers, farmers and citizens will be involved via a WikiBeedia and by citizen-science and carbon footprint studies to ensure that research findings are directly translated into useful/good practices for end users.
