British honey bee colonies are under threat from pests, diseases and loss of flowers due to land-use changes. Honey bees are the principal pollinator of flowering plants in the UK and are a major factor in the production of food crops, contributing £200 million a year to the UK economy.
Francis Ratnieks, the UK's only Professor of Apiculture, and his team at the University of Sussex will carry out ground-breaking research into honey bee health and well-being, breeding hygienic honey bees to multiply the hygienic stock. The University of Sussex is now the leading Uk centre for research on the honey bee and other social insects. Find out more at www.sussex.ac.uk/research/research2009
