Hive placement and control of varroa best practise for sustainable beekeeping in Europe

This study provides the first EU‑wide, beekeeper‑driven assessment of which practices matter most in everyday beekeeping. Conducted במסגרת the B‑THENET project, it is based on 2,094 responses from beekeepers in 22 countries.

The research is grounded in a One Health perspective, recognising that honey bee health is closely linked to environmental quality, agriculture and human wellbeing. At the same time, beekeeping faces multiple pressures, including diseases, parasites such as Varroa destructor, pesticide exposure, and landscape change.

Practical actions

The findings highlight that beekeepers place greatest importance on practical management decisions. Two areas clearly stand out: apiary placement and Varroa control.

In terms of apiary management, respondents emphasised the importance of selecting suitable locations as well as avoiding polluted environments or toxic plant species. The importance of matching colony numbers to available resources as well as ensuring accessibility, safety and good working conditions were also highlighted.

For Varroa management, the focus lies on effective yet sustainable approaches. Beekeepers highlighted that infestation levels should be regularly monitored and that organic treatments such as oxalic acid, formic acid and thymol are preferred but biotechnical methods (e.g. brood removal, queen caging) also play a key role. Treatments must comply with national regulations and product guidance

Prefer visual information

The study also explored how beekeepers prefer to receive information. Visual materials – including videos, images and written guides – were clearly favoured over audio or purely theoretical formats. Videos of around 11–30 minutes were considered most suitable. Importantly, many respondents indicated limited ability to use English for learning, pointing to a strong need for multilingual resources.

In conclusion, the study demonstrates that strong colony health depends on sound everyday management combined with effective disease control, tailored to local conditions. The results are now being used to develop practical, multilingual training materials aimed at supporting beekeepers, farmers and the wider public in building more resilient and sustainable beekeeping systems across Europe.