Honeybees and their protection are an important issue worldwide, as both the pollination of numerous cultivated and wild crops and the production of the various bee products depend on healthy, productive bee colonies. This is only possible if there are bee-friendly habitats with an appropriate supply of pollen, nectar and honeydew sources. Beekeepers ready to commit themselves to apiculture are equally important for a high density of bees.
Unlike other livestock, honeybees fly about freely and pick their food from what is available in their environment. As a result, bees and their health are always influenced by their environment and its use by humans (e.g. the way of land use, use of pesticides and biocides, use of treated seeds or genetically modified organisms, etc.). Climate change and globalised agricultural management pose additional challenges to bees and beekeepers, changing their habitats and conditions and opening the door for the global spread of pathogens, parasites and other pests that cause harm to bees.
This also applies to bumblebees and wild bees which -- together with honeybees and other flower-visiting insects -- make a vital contribution to the biodiversity of the flora and fauna within the ecosystem and contribute to the food safety through their pollination activities.
The AGES Department for Apiculture and Bee Protection is your competent contact for issues relating to bee health (notifiable disease) and bee protection, as well as for other bee-related questions.
Our mission is securing Austria’s bee population on a long-term basis.
AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety
