I spy with my little hive: area-wide bio-surveillance with honeybees

Hundreads of European bees on a hive. — This project will optimise eDNA sampling from hives to create an early warning surveillance system to detect weeds and pathogens.

This project will develop new DNA collection and analysis platforms that transform managed beehives into biosecurity sentinels for cross‐industry surveillance of agricultural and environmental landscapes.

Through optimised eDNA (environmental DNA) capture from hives and enhanced metagenomics analyses we will create a surveillance system for the early detection of high priority weeds, and honeybee and plant pathogens to complement national and regional biosecurity activities.

Lead: John Roberts