There was a time when almost every rural British family who kept bees followed a strange tradition.

The challenges for bees in Europe and the world are widely recognised and have been an increasing priority by several institutional actors. For instance, the previous president of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker...

Recent major losses of managed honeybee, Apis mellifera, colonies at a global scale have resulted in a multitude of research efforts to identify the underlying mechanisms.

The EU beekeeping sector faces many challenges. On top of the ones posed by climate change, lack of forage resources, pollutants and the introduction of invasive species, beekeepers struggle to sell their main commercial product: honey.

The international traffic of adulterated honey has increased to unsustainable proportions in recent years. Peter Awram is at the forefront of attempts to stamp this out through rigorous honey testing and database development.

Honey bees face new challenges, ranging from climate to pathogens such as Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae that cause a syndrome designated as CCD.

Propolis via antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antithrombotic activities could be used as prophylactic or adjuvant COVID-19 treatment.

The question of which hive is best for beekeeping in the developing world goes beyond beekeeping and enters the realm of economics and development theory.