We have just published our fourth newsletter, in which we focus on genetics of the honey bee and local adaptation.

In this newsletter, you will learn more about the evolutionary history of honeybees, our project to sequence 1,000 genomes, our findings on genes linked to adaptation to climate change, and the genetics of bee colonies that are resistant to the Varroa mite.

Ultimately, the goal of this research is to allow beekeepers to select honeybees with genetic backgrounds that are resilient and well-adapted to their local environments.

This newsletter is available in English and soon also in several other European languages. You can find all our newsletters on the Better-B Learning Platform, where you can find more information about the project and our latest results. You can also follow us on LinkedIn.

The annual European conference of Apidology EurBee11 is quickly approaching!

Where: Bologna
When: 7-10 September 2026

With 8 talks and 11 posters presentations Better-B will have a strong presence and a wide range of topics that will be distributed across the conference's 11 symposium themes

Stay tuned for the EurBee11 full program.

One of the experiments we are running in the Better-B project aims to test the effect of heat stress on drones, the male members of a honeybee colony. Unlike the female worker bee, the drone's only purpose is to mate with a maiden queen, bringing genetic diversity (and strength) to the colony.

Due to climate change and other environmental factors, thermoregulating the beehive is becoming more challenging, and this might also affect — among other things — the drones.

In this experiment, we want to know what happens if colonies lose the ability to thermoregulate their beehive, even if just for a few hours, exposing drone brood to high temperatures.

The first step of our experiment is therefore to expose drone brood to higher temperatures and then mark the drones as they emerge, so we can collect them once they have matured (as can be seen in the pictures below).

After maturation, our researchers will collect drone sperm and apply a live/dead stain to know if previous heat exposure lead to fertility problems (dead sperm cells).

Better-B is working to strengthen resilience in European beekeeping, as climate change, emerging pests and diseases continue to affect honey bee colonies. Understanding how stakeholders engage with and benefit from collaborative research is key to improving our project activities and outcomes.

As part of this effort, we are inviting beekeepers, researchers, advisors, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders involved in the project to participate in a short survey and share their experiences.

Your responses will help us better understand participation in the Better-B project, including collaboration, knowledge exchange, and learning outcomes. The insights gathered will support improvements in project activities and help ensure that research outputs are relevant, accessible, and useful for the beekeeping community.

The survey is anonymous and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. To take part, please use the link or QR code below. We also encourage you to share the survey within your networks, your input is valuable in strengthening our collective understanding.
Take the survey

Better‑B is working to strengthen resilience in European beekeeping, as climate change, emerging pests and diseases are increasingly affecting honeybee colonies. We’re trying to better understand the awareness, preparedness and current resilience of the European beekeeping sector.

As part of this effort, we’re inviting bee inspectors, veterinarians, researchers, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders to participate in a short survey, to share their experiences with invasive species affecting the beekeping sector in Europe.

Your answers will help us better understand how response measures work in practice across regions, what challenges are being faced and the kind of support that’s needed for more effective invasive species prevention and management. The insights gathered will contribute to recommendations for policy and guidance documents for invasive species for current and potential threats to european beekping.

The survey is anonymous and should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. To take part please use the link or QR code below. Please also consider sharing the survey with your relevant networks. The more insights we gather, the stronger our collective understanding.
Take the survey