Good Fruit Grower Magazine recently highlighted new research currently underway at the University of California focusing on solutions to honey bee losses. They highlight in this article how following years of research in this field that the tide may be turning and new solutions will help reduce honey bee losses.

“For more than a decade, the news about honey bees has been “doom and gloom.” Pesticides, parasites, environmental changes and other stressors have combined to decrease bee populations worldwide, and media reports offered little if any hope.”

The team at the University of California are focusing on three primary areas of research 1) to improve bee breeding, 2) to develop new medications and treatments for sick bees, and 3) to give beekeepers better tools to monitor colony health

One sensor that fits UC’s criteria might already be on the market. Irish company ApisProtect just launched the ApisProtect Monitor, a honey bee monitoring platform, in December.

Read the full article by Matt Milkovich in the March edition of Good Fruit Grower

The ApisProtect Monitor works remotely, with no protruding wires or cables that would hamper beekeepers’ day-to-day operations. The battery-powered devices use wireless technology to communicate directly to base stations in the apiary. This reduces how often beekeepers need to open hives, an activity that can be extremely disruptive to colonies, O’Mahony said. •

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