One of my most requested talks is called “Current and future challenges in beekeeping”. This isn’t meant to discourage people. All the contrary, to be honest. Because when we talk about challenges and realize that there are uncertainties, we’re already looking for solutions. Or at least mitigation measures. This is a way to be prepared, to not get overwhelmed.
The way I see it, it’s better to face reality than to hope for a magical solution. People are getting less resilient to uncertainty, in my observation, and beekeepers aren’t an exception. That’s why I insist so much on education, by the way. And I don’t mean this in an academic way. Education isn’t about getting degrees, it’s about having the means to understand our complex world. That makes you less overwhelmed. Most importantly, it shows where you can change something or at least deal with it.
Education helps you to develop good practices and to adapt them to changing conditions. Because things change constantly. Sometimes slow, so that we can adapt without larger efforts. Sometimes they come all of a sudden. Then it’s normal to be overwhelmed at first. But this shouldn’t stay at the “I want this to go away!”-level. A wish alone won’t help. You’ll have to do something, it will mean some effort. And also getting together with others to share the responsibility.
Current challenges in beekeeping
A good example of current challenges: Varroa spreading in Australia. It was foreseeable that this would happen sooner or later. Because even Australia isn’t totally isolated – and they managed to defend themselves for quite a while! From the very beginning, I’ve said that Australia is in the lucky position that it can build upon the experience and knowledge other parts of the world have. Here in Europe, we’re dealing with this mite since the late 70s. Many of the existing treatments and control methods were developed here.
So, Australia can build on an already solid foundation – and obviously develop their own solutions. But they aren’t confronted with a new parasite without any tool to deal with it. When I said that directly after the arrival of varroa in Australia, I got a few angry comments from beekeepers. They told me that this was adding even more on the already challenged beekeeping industry in Australia. Well, here’s the thing: Different bad things can happen at once. In Australia and elsewhere.
This was still in the period of trying to exterminate the parasite, so I understand that nerves were on edge. Now Australia is doing a great job in offering resources and training and a detailed Response Plan. I doubt that they’d been able to have this ready in only two to three years without all that experience and knowledge that was already there. They even asked experts all over the world for their opinions and advice on how to proceed.
From a country to the single beekeeper
This strategy is suitable for single beekeepers as well when facing a challenge:
- Get the existing information on an issue you’re facing. You have to know the “enemy”.
- Ask for advice from people who already have the same problem.
- Involve scientists and vets for their approach and for adapted solutions for your conditions.
- Reason with others on how to proceed based on the situation at hand.
- Do courses, trainings, etc. to learn how to address the issue.
And then – apply the knowledge and repeat the process. This is certainly a very rational way to address things. Obviously, it isn’t easy. Remaining in the overwhelm and the emotional response from the beginning, however, won’t help. It will let things even get worse.
One of the largest challenges in beekeeping: Climate change
Good practices are important in this context. Here in Europe, varroa has certainly helped to improve practices quite a bit. So, despite all the issues the parasite brought to beekeepers here, it also helped in this context.
But there are more challenges in beekeeping we’re facing worldwide. Climate change being one of them. There are regions which are noticing it much more than others. In the Mediterranean region, for instance, the drought and extremely high temperatures is already killing colonies. With the wildfires that have been devastating in many regions, also a lot of honey bee colonies were burnt.
How to face climate change in beekeeping
There have been some discussions on how social bees, like honey bees, deal differently with climate change than solitary species. But this doesn’t mean better. Especially as the direct impacts like wildfires or floods are becoming more frequent. This needs a differentiated approach:
- The single beekeeper can provide shade and water against the heat. Or chose apiary sites that aren’t in a hollow and put them at some hight above the ground. This will help against floods. The fires… I don’t know. In Sicily apparently the beekeepers are asked to keep corridors around the apiaries – without plants or other materials that could catch fire.
- Associations can build up an emergency fund to help beekeepers who were victim of extreme events. Or take out insurance policies with good conditions for their members. Together with scientists, they can also work out response plans or specific measures for the most likely risks of their region.
- Finally, scientists also have recommendations for policy makers on how to slow down global warming and limit its impact. We’re already late on this… Here, obviously the industrialized nations have the largest responsibility.
As you can see, we have the different levels of responsibility here…
Challenges in beekeeping at the doorstep
Climate change will create more issues in the future. Also in regions which aren’t as affected by it at the moment. For instance, it facilitates the spread of diseases and parasites. The one that is at our doorstep: Tropilaelaps mercedesae. Another mite that lives in honey bee colonies. In my time in Thailand this was the larger issue for beekeepers than varroa mites. This mite apparently is more susceptible to cooler climate. Or at least it was. It was discovered in Georgia (the European state, not the one in the US) only a few months ago.
The good thing: We already have experience with parasitic mites. And there are already people working on efficient treatments etc. I’ll give you some more info on Tropilaelaps next time. Here, I want it to be an example for something else: We have to get used to changes. Even if one issue is solved, there will be others in the future. For beekeeping or any other area of your life. And all these challenges aren’t impossible to live with. So, no reason for dispair. But they need learning, effort, and attention. Not empty promises and easy solutions.
