Two fungi, one of which grows in Catalan forests, could be crucial in improving the immune system of bees. That’s the conclusion of the first findings of a study sponsored by the Lleida-based firm Torrons i Mel Alemany and the Forestry Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia in partnership with Eurecat and beekeeper Josetxu Rodríguez.
This is a groundbreaking project in Catalonia funded by the Catalan government and the European Union which kicked off in May 2020 and has already yielded its first encouraging results.
The study was undertaken after observing a worldwide decline in bee populations, in particular over the last few years. They are now threatened by environmental factors mainly due to climate change and also by other emerging threats in the use of agricultural pesticides (in particular betulin and glyphosate) and new predators (the Asian hornet, viruses and parasites).
As a result, beekeepers often spend more time trying to sort out health issues than extracting related products. Although several factors influence bee mortality and honey quantity and quality, bee health can be improved and honey quantity and quality enhanced by using fungi with functional applications acknowledged in many scientific studies around the world. In the preliminary tests of the study, two species of mushrooms with recognised functional applications were used: Reishi and Shiitake. The former is native and its use has been shown to improve the immune system of these insects.
The research is part of Alemany’s BeeLab, the Honey Laboratory, R&D project and might be a first step towards improving the health of bees and thus increasing their resistance to aggressive pests such as Varroa mites. However, further research is needed on the fungal species and concentrations to be used, the extraction methodology and the period of administration of the extracts to the bees in order to fully optimise the whole process.
The project has a budget standing at €14,249. The Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda provides €5,686 while €4,288.95 comes from the European Union through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development funded via the Rural Development Programme for Catalonia 2014-20.
