Research activities

Our team’s main research interests are the assessment of human interventions in honey bee colonies and the microbiological study of the survival, development and management of major honey bee pathogens.

One of our research questions focuses on how feeding and treatments affect honey bee survival, physiology and productivity.

Supplementary feeding

Research shows that supplementing colonies with artificial feeds during periods of scarce natural resources supports their survival and temporarily improves performance. However, it often leads to an unbalanced diet with long-term adverse effects on their physiology. Although artificial diets address immediate shortages, they also disrupt normal foraging behaviour and interactions with natural vegetation, potentially causing unwanted ecological changes.

Despite the many publications in the international literature, findings often remain contradictory. Further research under different climatic conditions and using newer genetic stock is therefore needed to assess new feed types and alternative methods. It is essential to carry out such experiments in the field to draw realistic conclusions, while also examining the long-term effects of feeding to address existing gaps in the literature.

Treatments

Honey bee diseases are among the greatest challenges in modern beekeeping, complicating colony management and affecting productivity. The mite Varroa destructor is the main driver of population decline, weakening bees’ immune systems and acting as a vector for viruses, increasing mortality. The severe effects of Varroa destructor infestation are often worsened by the simultaneous presence of other pathogens, making its management critical to colony sustainability. Among these, the microsporidian fungi Nosema spp. cause nosemosis, a disease affecting honey bee nutrition that reduces life expectancy. Nosemosis often coexists with Varroa mites, creating interactions that accelerate colony collapse.

Another serious disease that significantly affects colony sustainability is American foulbrood (Paenibacillus larvae), which attacks honey bee brood. This highly contagious bacterial infection causes larvae to decompose inside the comb, gradually weakening the colony and leading to its collapse. Because of the resilience of the bacterium’s spores, American foulbrood, although less widespread in Greece, has no approved treatment and is managed exclusively through beekeeping practices. It is therefore considered one of the most destructive diseases in beekeeping, requiring effective management and prevention measures.

Our work assesses the available treatments for these conditions, analyses their effects on honey bee health and sustainability, and investigates their effectiveness and possible interactions between active substances. In particular, our research focuses on assessing the toxicity and mortality rates that different treatments may cause.

Overall

By testing different levels of feeding and different treatments, our research examines changes in the following parameters:

• worker bee survival;
• worker brood development;
• development of the hypopharyngeal glands, which produce royal jelly;
• composition of microbial populations in the gut microbiome;
• drone reproductive capacity;
• colony propolis production;
• honey quality, assessed through hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) levels;
• interactions with other pathogens, such as honey bee viruses.

Monitoring microbial load

Using microbiological approaches, we monitor changes in major honey bee pathogens found on beekeeping equipment and in products following specific beekeeping operations and practices. Disinfecting equipment by thermal, mechanical or chemical means, removing old combs and processing wax for reuse are among the modern beekeeping practices our team investigates. In the laboratory, we study the presence, load and viability of pathogens, including the minimum pathogen load required for clinical symptoms to appear. This research aims to produce scientifically supported data on pathogen persistence, survival and transmission, contributing to evidence-based protocols for prevention, disinfection and good beekeeping practice.