Climate Change and the Future of Bees: Innovative Hive Materials and Shielding Technology to Be Developed at LSIWC
Changing climate patterns – especially unpredictable winters – pose a significant threat to bee colony survival across Europe. A study conducted by Wageningen University, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, found that 21.2% of bee colonies did not survive the winter of 2023–2024 ( Wageningen University & Research, 2024). Similar figures have been reported in Germany (16.2%), Switzerland (18.9%), and Austria (12.6%) ( Agroscope&Bienen.ch, Imkerbund.at, 2023–2024). Latvia reflects the same trend. According to the Latvian Beekeepers’ Association (LBB), in...