Better‑B is working to help beekeepers protect their colonies from the challenges brought by climate change. Increasingly frequent extreme weather events - such as heat waves - can make it harder for honeybee colonies to maintain stable hive temperatures. Through several test stations and field trials, we are studying the physical factors that support better hive thermoregulation and exploring practical ways beekeepers can adapt hive designs to local environmental conditions. For more information you can read this newsletter or watch this video.
To deepen our understanding of what truly works in real-world beekeeping, we have created a short survey, and we would greatly appreciate your input.
We invite all beekeepers to share their experiences with hive design, including those who have not made any modifications. Knowing what you have tried over the years and equally, why you haven’t helps us build a clearer picture of which approaches are useful, practical, bee‑friendly, and suited to real‑world beekeeping.
Take the survey
By completing the survey (available in several European languages), you will contribute to identifying effective ideas that can be shared with beekeepers across Europe. We will publish a handbook about how beehives can be improved, based on our work and insights gained from answers to the survey.
The survey is anonymous and takes about 15 minutes to complete. If you are a beekeeper, please use the link below or QR code to take part. We also encourage you to share the survey within your networks, the more voices we hear, the better.
Better-B has received funding from the European Union, the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government's Horizon Europe funding guarantee (grant number 10068544).
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, European Research Executive Agency (REA), SERI or UKRI. Neither the European Union nor the granting authorities can be held responsible for them.
